The Cataclysm- Marshall Lee and Prince Gumball
by xAmethyst10x
Summary: The end of the world has rolled over the land of Aaa, radioactive poison killing, sickening, or imprisoning anyone who is touched by it. Is it possible that a struggle as intense as surviving can be done when everything and most everyone is destroyed? Is it possible to find a light through the poison and blood? Gumlee fan fiction. CONTAINS YAOI.
1. Chapter 1

**This story beat out my other intro idea by a long shot on deviantart... so this is what I shall do. I typically update often so check back every other day or so. Hope you enjoy!**

**The Cataclysm**

Marshall Lee the Vampire King stood behind the Candy Kingdom castle, back plastered to the wall as his heart pounded in his chest cavity. He took deep and rash breaths, pure and raw fear in his eyes, pupils thin as needles. He pressed his sweaty hands to the cool gingerbread, obsidian black locks of hair tossed in his eyes. Marshall allowed his jaw to hang open as he heaved in his nose and out his mouth, legs shaking. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins, exciting his body as he played a lethal game of keep away. He had lost his ability to fly, to transform into creatures, and to fight. He could feel a sticky wet substance trickling down the back of his head. Slowly, the vampire reached back and rested his fingers on the spot. He brought it back around carefully to inspect what it could be.

He wretched towards the ground as he quickly discovered he was bleeding, and bad. The slick crimson liquid coated the pads of his index and middle finger. He wasn't invulnerable anymore. Marshall, terrified and exhausted, shrank to the ground. He knew he couldn't run forever, and the wall surrounding the kingdom was too high to jump over, and too steep to climb. There wasn't enough time to cry though. He'd tried the fight method, but the fog had gotten to him and made him vulnerable. He rubbed the skin on his legs and arms, as it had begun to boil and burn. Now it was painful, searing, the skin an angry and fiery red with white bubbles. He wretched again, but had nothing to throw up. He hadn't eaten in two days, and was incredibly weak. Marshall's mouth was entirely dry, as he had managed to drink some water yesterday, but it was only enough to keep him alive. He hadn't slept in weeks, and definitely couldn't now, or any time soon. He swallowed a few times, but had nothing to clear or moisten his dry, scratchy throat.

The vampire's head throbbed, his lungs burned, his legs were numb, and his entire presence was typical of being close to death. He was running out of energy and time. He had been trapped in the sugary prison for days now, and knew that it would surely be the location of his demise. Carefully, Marshall rested a hand on his stomach, and winced in pain. Not long ago he had been injured with a sword, sliced right across the soft flesh. None of his organs were damaged, but the muscle had been cut deep. It was so painful now, and he almost couldn't keep his eyes open. If starvation and dehydration and sleep deprivation didn't kill him, then surely the pain of his wounds would.

Marshall's heavy eyelids shot open as he heard the shrill scream of a young female candy person. Another found, destined to die and become fresh meat. His ear twitched as he listened in the dark ally, trying to go unnoticed. He'd shaken the group that had chased him for a good mile. His eyes rolled to his torn, dirty red sneakers as he felt pangs of misery jab his chest. This was worse than any hell he'd ever been to. The once feared and strong creature of the night was nothing more than a victim now, fighting for his life. His red eyes were dull and full of regrets. He was going to die like this, sitting in an alley behind the candy castle, wishing he could have done something. He watched many of his friends die, few escape, and many go mindless. The king allowed for his eyes to roll up to the sky, and fall upon the moon. It was large and full, and brought him a smidge of comfort. The moon was his sun. It brought him freedom and a chance to escape every time the sun went down.

Loud rustling began to sound from the end of the ally, forcing Marshall to scramble to his feet instantly. He watched as a dark blur came at him quickly, and began running for his life again. He knew very well that he couldn't fight his pursuer, because it'd only call for help. The vampire ran for as long as he could, entering the castle and sprinting up the stairs, then locking himself in an empty room. He found an old bottle of water and chugged it as the door was slammed into repeatedly. Blow after blow, it pounded itself against the solid, stale gingerbread wall. Marshall threw the bottle to the side and collapsed onto the bed, sweating and shaking. He pulled his knees to his chest slowly, face blank with pain and fear. He was tired. He just wanted to fall asleep.

Though the banging continued, the vampire gave up, allowing his body to succumb to exhaustion. He was gaunt and frail, covered in a sheen of sweat, smeared with blood and dirt. The water didn't work in the castle anymore, he'd already tried. His sneakers were ruined, his jeans soiled, red shirt shredded and torn. Being one thousand years old, he was shockingly young. Only twenty one, in appearance. The young man had a tall and thin frame, about six feet and five inches tall. He was skinny normally, but ever since the cataclysm, he'd lost weight at an alarming rate. It really was remarkable that he wasn't dead yet. His cheek bones were obvious on his face, his eyes dark, his collar bones sunken in, ribs apparent just under his skin, stomach concave, hip bones protruding, arms and legs about as thick as his bones. He lied on the bed, curled in the defensive fetal position to protect his tummy, blood poisoning setting in. He began to sweat more and become clammy, body temperature sky rocketing. He was dying.

Bang, bang, bang. It was unceasing. His attacker would not stop until it succeeded in its one mission in life. Kill. The vampire woke, shaking everywhere uncontrollably. He was so cold. Slowly, he stood, barely able to support himself. His eyes squeezed shut as he drew in a breath of cold air. After managing to push a heavy desk in front of the door, he collapsed, so weak. His body was on its last resort survival tactic, transitioning to calming the brain as organs began to give out inside him. He glanced at the door, angered by the constant beating and whacking. "Oh hell, give it up!" The vampire croaked, feeling even worse by the second. He was going to wretch again, but he didn't allow himself to. He needed to keep down the water. The vampire managed to crawl to the bathroom, where he found an old pink sweatshirt. Relieved, he put in on slowly, careful not to jostle his stomach. He heaved himself up and walked across the room at a snail's pace, until he reached the bloody sweat stained bed.

Marshall kicked off his sneakers and lowered himself down, one arm always draped across his tender and sickening wound, tending to it constantly. It was so far gone his brain had blocked out the searing and life-threatening pain, suppressing it to a dull ache. He didn't dare stretch it though, knowing that it would make him pass out due to experience. As he curled up under the warm comforters, his teeth chattered. Suddenly, he was alright with dying. Better like this than at the hands of the attackers. His brain numbed any painful or stress related thoughts, memories, and hopes. He felt himself twitch a smile as he closed his eyes once more. He thought about sweet nothings, relaxing himself into a peaceful death.

Loud and frightening bangs jolted Marshall not minutes later. They were coming from the window. Muffled screaming, and more sounds of beating on the glass window in addition to the door. That was when the vampire lost composure. He began to cry softly, whimpering helplessly. All he wanted was to die in peace. He didn't want to be eaten or violently ripped to pieces as he died a horrible gruesome death. He began to violently shudder, gasping as the window crashed in and glass littered the floor. He stiffened as a tall thin figure approached him, then knelt beside him. With the smallest ounce of energy and right he hand left, he chomped down on the hand extending to take his pulse.

"Oww!" He screeched silently into his shirt as he drew his hand back to see discoloration. Marshall had wisely sucked some of the red out of his body in a quick attempt to gain more energy, but it wouldn't be enough. The poor guy was too dizzy and lightheaded to even link the familiar voice with a face. The man huffed and spoke, rubbing his hand. "Marshall Lee, can you hear me? Glob, you look awful..." The soft voice resonated into the air once more. All at once, the vampire felt a small twinge of hope.

"Yes... Y-yes, I can. I- I'm in bad shape." He winced as a warm hand pressed to his hot forehead, then slowly moved to guide him onto his back. The vampire let out a long, cold moan and tears forced out his eyes. "My stomach. Be gentle..." He warned, and the smooth hand brushed over the makeshift gauze. He was lifted quickly and cautiously by his savior, but it hurt so bad that Marshall couldn't even cry out before he lost consciousness. The mysterious man struggled to get Marshall out, but he did. He mounted his bird, the Morrow, with his only survivor and they flew far away, to a place of temporary safety. As soon as they landed, the man lied Marshall down, knocked him out with a powerful drug, and began to perform surgery on the dying flesh. He needed to have someone's company, or he'd go insane.


	2. Chapter 2

The mysterious man took a long, drawn out deep breath as he undid the shirt wrapped around Marshall's stomach. He paled instantly and drew his hands back, momentarily scared. This was an extremely bad case of blood poisoning, and he knew he only had a few hours. The man scrubbed his hands under a small stream with soap, then slipped on latex free rubber gloves from his first aid kit. He then coated his hands with the substance povidone-iodie in order to keep things as sanitary as possible. He hadn't preformed many surgeries in his life time, but was willing to try in the attempt to save a man's life.

The make-shift camp was actually very nice. The tent was a high-tech contraption that managed to alter one's perception of space and the environment itself, looking small on the outside but having a luxurious, much greater amount of room on the inside. The man also had a machine that could basically detect a nearby food and water source from miles away. The stream was very helpful, as it was the purest water available, melting from the snow caps of the Ice Kingdom Mountains. They were mostly surrounded by thick, tall evergreen trees that did a decent job of masking scent and providing cover. It was kind of chilly, but the tent had a magic source of heat. The man was very lucky considering he escaped with his life and so many helpful survival tools. Though he was lucky, he was sick too.

The man prepped his tools and moved to the near dead Marshall. He didn't have much time or anything advanced for medical purposed, so his knives, needles, thread, and small amount of healing cream would be good, but not quite good enough. He began to think, and using natural elements from his surrounding created an antidote for the blood poisoning. He bent over and cleaned the wound with the pads of his fingers, and good ol' fashioned rubbing alcohol diluted with pure, freezing cold water. Marshall was so out of it with the drug that he didn't even flinch. The man worked slowly and cautiously, not wanting to permanently injure Marshall's insides. It was horrifying though.

Three or four times the surgeon had to step away to wretch, or to not faint or pass out. He knew time was of the essence, but making a fatal mistake wouldn't really do his patient well either. The smell of rotting flesh wasn't exactly pleasant, and neither was the sight of it. He walked back over after a few seconds and then rinsed the wound one more time, this time with water. Then he poured the antidote right on the wound, and watched as the odd and sickly ash grey discoloration disappeared before his very eyes. Directly after, he rinsed with one more round of icy cold water. Then, with a clean and fresh towel-like pad, he blotted the torn muscles and skin, and dried them until satisfied. He carefully removed pieces of skin, fat, and muscle that were dead and decaying, then bit his lip hard as he skillfully clotted vein after vein that began to bleed. He occasionally rested his ear on Marshall's chest, and after confirming a steady beat, relaxed. He quickly got to work with the needle and surgical thread.

The surgeon knew exactly how the body's muscle layers were in the stomach, and layer by layer, repaired each muscle that had been sliced in half by connecting the piecing together. His face filled with relief when he finally connected the very top layer, the skin, and then cut the string with his baby scissors. He checked for a heartbeat again and after assuring he had one, placed a special water proof tape over the stitches with intense precision and skill. He then did two more layers, and wrapped his stomach in water proof gauze. He breathed a sigh of relief, actually proud of his accomplishments, then tended to his head. It was a simple split in the skin, and the vampire didn't appear to have a concussion when they spoke, so it was an easy fix. Slowly, he cut a patch out of his hair around the split, then shaved even further around it to keep the situation sanitary. After some rinses, he stitched up the gash, then covered it with tape.

Realizing the current state of his clothes, the caretaker gingerly removed them to find his skin blistered and boiled. "Shit. The radiation really got to him. Now... I think I can create an antidote for this... Hmmm..." He thought aloud as he began to create another concoction with the items he had brought and the items around him. He created a thick remedy with a syrup consistency that smelled like sap, pine, and aloe. It also had a strange aroma of mustard and baby lotion. After bringing the pot of it to a boil, he cooled it. While doing so he stripped the vampire of all his clothes, having the decency to cover his privates with a washcloth. He then poured half of the batch of the remedy all over the vampire and spread it all over his body, even in his hair. He didn't want an ounce of the poison left on his skin, scalp included. It stuck on him, thicker than syrup now, coating his body with a creamy, slimy texture similar to Crisco or solidified vegetable oil.

He took a deep breath, stripped to johns, removed his crown, and then dumped almost the rest of it on himself. He didn't want the poison in or on his body anymore and he was willing to bet his life that his own concoction worked. He caked himself in it, then ate a few spoon fulls. If it was safe to soak in from the skin and all natural, it was safe to do from the inside out. He then moved over to his patient, vibrant blue eyes tired but determined. He refused to stop until the job was done. He observed, noting that the blisters were popping and that his miracle substance pushed the puss and poison up and out of the layer, and it slid right off. He looked down at his own arms to see the harsh red burns healing and disappearing. "I am a genius." He chuckled happily as he shot a small dose of liquid down the back of Marshall's throat. The vampire swallowed and within minutes opened his eyes and looked around.

"What happened!? Oh my glob, I'm dead! I died! Those horrible creatures got to me and I died!" He was screaming, unable to feel or move his body below the bottom of his rib cage. His arms were still quite tingly and heavy with numbness. Two gentle hands caressed his cheeks from behind. His eyes darted up to see the face of his hero.

"You aren't dead, Marshall Lee. Just... out for the count. A little banged up." The voice was so soothing, yet sarcastically irritating, that it made Marshall blush. His eyes studied the face of none other than Bubba Gumball.

"You... saved me?" He asked, eyes wide and whole face turning red. He had never ever seen Bubba in such a way before. Every other time it was embarrassing, awkward, stressful, and tense. Now he felt nothing other than respect for the man that saved his life. He was no longer immortal or invincible. Just a 21 year old kid with 1004 years of experience under his belt. He owed his life to the pink prince made of bubblegum.

"Yes. I did. I also performed surgery on you which actually gave me quite the rush! You're also coated in this remedy I made for the boiling burning skin, as am I. It feels better, trust me. I know you can't feel." He chuckled, affectionately rubbing Marshall's hair back.

"Cut that out, I'm not your pet to be stroking!" Marshall barked and Bubba blushed and chuckled.

"I'm sorry, it's just soft, and I also need you to take a few spoon fulls of my medicine. Could you handle that? It tastes like a minty cream oddly enough. It will assure that no remains of poison are left in your body."

"Sure, hit me up. After that could you maybe get me some water and food, I feel really really sick with hunger."

"I sure can." Bubba mentioned cheerfully, glad he had a brand new buddy to hang out with, even if his company hadn't been great in the past. After feeding Marshall the last bit of the medicine, Gumball went and collected an apple as well as five strawberries and a red bell pepper. He held them up questioningly at Marshall, who nodded ravenously.

"All of it. I would eat it all."

"We'll start with the pepper and two strawberries. I know you'll be upset but I want your stomach to accept the food instead of... uh, losing it minutes later. Just eat slowly and only bits at a time. I'm going to make you drink plenty of water too, alright?"

"Okay okay just let me get something in my stomach...!" Marshall practically begged Bubba, and he obliged by holding a strawberry to his mouth.

"Slow!" The prince warned again as Marshall sucked the red from the juicy ripe berry, doing so in about a minute time period, which was good. Bubba rewarded him with another berry, then the pepper which took him longer, then the final berry. After Marshall ate Bubba gave in to his own growling stomach and indulged on some crackers and peanut butter. His eyes drooped and Marshall blushed softly, noticing just how exhausted Bubba was. It was probably four in the morning, and he probably hadn't slept in a while on his own.

"Gumwad?"

"Yes Marshall?" He asked softly, eyes dragging across the floor until they fell upon the vampire.

"Let's get you to bed, alright? I would help out but I'm kinda numb..." He blushed and the boy nodded, zipping up the tent and locking it tight. He carried the essentially naked Marshall to a comfortable cot-like bed and blushed deeper than ever. "What's up with that face?"

"If you use the restroom you'll go... everywhere. You won't be able to feel it coming. I'm just gonna lie down some towels under you and this absorbent pad. It's made for leaks in the tent or spills but I guess it can be useful considering our situation." He set the bed up for Marshall then lied him down again. He then pushed his bed close to the vampire's and lied down, piling on blanket after blanket on Marshall and himself. "If you need me just... call." He closed his eyes and fell asleep almost instantly. The vampire twitched a smile and observed his savior under the heavy covers, nestled up, feeling better already. Of course it felt odd to be coated in a substance that was now dry and wasn't sticking to anything but themselves, and to not be able to move much, but it was night and day compared to last night. He studied the boy prince's exhausted expression and felt an overwhelming rush of... admiration, was it? No, it was stronger than that. Gratefulness? That wasn't quite it either. He felt deep in his heart that he needed to do something for the prince to show his appreciation. He felt that he needed to make the young man feel good and important. Oddly enough, he swore he felt the need to simply... cuddle him. It was a sickly sweet sensation.


	3. Chapter 3

Marshall closed his eyes softly and drifted in and out of consciousness until he lost it completely and fell deeply asleep. He was wounded and sick, and couldn't afford to become even more exhausted. He trusted that Bubba could defend him if danger struck, and if he couldn't, well... Oh well. That would be the end of that. Both the boys slept incredibly deeply, not even moving or snoring. They were like dead weight in their little cots, hearts beating evenly and slow, breath gentle and warm.  
At about three in the morning Bubba sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. He looked around with lazy tired eyes, a strange feeling in his chest. Something wasn't right. He gazed around to see Marshall lying on his back, still and quiet. It was odd and eerie though, the way the vampire was lying on his back. Gumball leaned over and rested his ear on the vampire's chest, and gasped sharply. There was no beat. He immediately diagnosed not a heart attack, but a blood clot, probably somewhere near his stomach. The prince, knowing he had less than a minute to get a beat going again, injected a few veins near Marshall's tummy with a blood thinning agent, then began to pump his chest with his palms. He pulled open Marshall's jaw and blew three strong puffs of air into his lungs, then pumped his chest. After listening for a beat and discovering none, he began to panic.  
"Marshall Lee! Oh glob, I can't lose you too! Come back! Come back!" He whimpered, repeating the process over and over, but ultimately losing the battle. He continued for an hour, determined to fix him and bring him back, but it was too little too late. He sucked in a breath and began to blubber, not able to handle this much longer. Death after death after death. Nimble pink hands carefully drew up the white sheet over Marshall's face, and he began to sob. He walked away from the lifeless body and sat down outside the tent, crossing his legs and putting his head in his hands. Just when he thought he did something right, it all went wrong. Now he had a body to deal with, and he wanted Marshall to have a proper burial. He had lived just over one thousand years, and that was a feat that not very many could say they accomplished. Bubba decided that he'd bury Marshall deep in the ground so nothing could get to him.  
After crying for a very long amount of time, Bubba stood and looked around, scanning his environment. He wiped his eyes and walked back in the tent, observing the cot that Marshall's body was lying on. He felt he owe it to Marshall to at least apologize for messing up. He wished he had something to bring him back, but he was too far gone anyways. Bubba extended his hand to pull down the sheet, but hesitated. He turned around, crossing and rubbing his forearms, sick to his stomach. It would hurt too much to see the face that was thanking him for his life last night. He sat down and took some sips of water, trying very hard to ignore the lump of guilt, sadness, and fear. It made it hard to swallow and think straight. He sniffled and tried to calm down, all jumbled up again.  
"Gumball...?" A soft voice sounded from behind him into the air.  
"AHHH!" Bubba screamed at the top of his lungs, startled so bad he shook like a leaf and just passed out. He had sworn that his new friend Marshall had died at his hands. The vampire sat up, alarmed.  
"Prince Gumball! Oh my glob!" He blushed as he noticed he'd wet himself, and that he couldn't feel his stomach still. He had use of his legs, but was weak. Then he fully realized he was naked. "Gumball!? Hello? Are you okay? Can you hear me? Wake up! Please be okay..." He called to him softly, trying to get him awake again. He tried to float, but there was no possible way. His natural given abilities had been taken from him due to the poison that had seeped into his bloodstream. "Oh gosh, you have to get up kid!" He was afraid something bad had happened that he didn't know about, so he very carefully moved over to Bubba and observed his face.  
The vampire's hand rubbed and patted his side and face, trying to bring him back to consciousness. The boy prince's face scrunched up and he pushed the hand away, disliking the patting and whacking. "Stop it... Knock it off." The small, meek voice of Bubba called out. His eyes then met Marshall's and he flushed of all color. "You- you're not alive! You're dead! You died and I watched you die and I couldn't save you! I'm so sorry, Marshall!" Bubba whimpered, swearing to glob he was talking to a ghost.  
"I'm not dead! I'm not dead...! Relax..." He leaned over and hugged him. Bubba blushed majorly, awestruck, unsure of what to say or think. He reached up and just hugged the heck out of his friend, still alive and palpable and breathing, somehow.  
"You stopped breathing Marshall. I lost you... You died and... and..." Only then did Bubba bring on the waterworks in front of his scarier counterpart. Marshall patted his back soothingly, burying his face into the boy's hair in an attempt to relax him with a more physical gesture. He closed his eyes and breathed out slowly, calmed by the strength and gentleness of his big friend. He looked up after a bit and shyly blushed. "I think you and I should go get fresh and clean. We're still coated in the stuff, and you kinda smell... like..."  
"Alright alright. I couldn't really help it, like you said. No feeling, no control..." He blushed deeply, really thoroughly embarrassed he wet the bed. He almost lashed out but stayed pretty calm. "Uh... I can't walk yet. Can you carry me?" He asked, and Bubba nodded. The bubblegum prince had escaped the worst of the poison fog, and remained mostly at his healthy weight. He was only a few pounds lighter, while Marshall was down to 130 from 170 in only weeks. He had never been a giant guy, but he was very dangerously thin and small, skin and bones. Bubba, a solid 150 pounds, was able to lift and carry his friend to the water, then go back to get soap, towels, fresh clothes, and wash cloths. "It's too cold." Marshall complained, sitting by the edge with a towel around his waist.  
"I have a solution." With that, Gumball tossed a tiny red ball into the deep stream. It immediately brought the water to a warm nearly steamy temperature. "It's all warm now. Slip in."  
"Look away?" The vampire asked, wanting to undress, mostly ashamed and embarrassed of his sickly worn down body and demeanor. He couldn't be the suave sexy guy if he didn't have the body to support it. Bubba's eyes softened, but he nodded, looking away as the vampire slipped in. Gumball blushed and smiled.  
"Do the same for me? It's just... I kinda want to keep my privates private." He asked softly, only in johns but Marshall didn't mind. He covered his eyes with a hand and Bubba slipped into the water and moaned as the serum broke down and became easy to rub off. He began to rinse his body, revealing healed skin. The vampire did the same, making sure all of his skin had received treatment. Then they rubbed down with soap and a wash cloth, and that was when the vampire's eyes got curious. He looked over at Gumball and allowed himself to just watch as the boy prince cleaned off.  
He couldn't believe the way he was feeling as the muscles under Bubba's skin rippled as he moved. He couldn't handle his thoughts of sexual and mental attraction to the boy. He looked away and sighed heavily, convinced it was the fact that Bubba saved him, and that they were alone together with no one else. That had to be it, and that was all there was to it. No more, no less. "Are you alright Marshall? You sound awfully upset over there, huffing and puffing."  
"I am upset Gumball. I'm... I'm really scared. So many people are dead, even more are sick, we're all alone, I'm all banged up and powerless, you don't look very good either, and I just... am confused and upset. I feel so small... insignificant, and useless. Helpless. I hate it." He spoke his feelings to Gumball, who sighed quietly and moved closer. The steam provided a great cover, so nothing below the water could be seen. Bubba took his pink hand and quietly began to work the knots out of Marshall's back, helping to ease some of the built up anxiety. He blushed and looked away, trying to read Bubba's signals and actions. Was this a friendly gesture or did it heave a deeper meaning? Did Bubba come over to simply comfort him, or to flirt? The vampire truly had no idea. He never felt this way about anybody before, ever. No one could get under his skin or make him feel as good as Bubba could.  
"Do you maybe know where Fionna is?" He asked, looking over hopefully. Marshall paled and his eyes darted away.  
"The poison got her. She's either dead or sick."  
"Oh glob... Fionna too?" Bubba asked softly, tearing up pretty badly. It really hurt to know one of his best friends in the entire land was possibly dead, or stricken by the sickness. He turned into Marshall, seeking some support. Neither one of them were really strong enough to be the shoulder to cry on, but they could on each other's.  
"Hey, don't cry buddy. There's always hope, right?" Marshall asked, moving to touch Gumball's forearm. He nodded slowly in response, and sighed softly. His eyes wandered up to look at the vampire's, maybe to catch a glimmer of hope or a reassuring glance. When he saw Marshall's fearful, teary eyes, he cried gingerly, feeling even more hopeless. "D-don't cry Gummy... shhhh..." Out of pure desperation to get the scared boy to calm down, Marshall leaned forward and pressed his lips onto Bubba's.  
The bubblegum prince felt heat spread from his lips, to his cheeks, to all over his face. This was very very odd. The vampire was kissing him in an affectionate and almost romantic kind of way. It certainly halted his tears, changing his emotions from hopeless and depressed to flattered yet flustered. He was completely unbiased and neutral about the kiss, unsure if he liked it or not. Of course it felt nice to be kissed, but it was still different coming from a person of his own gender. Marshall was the first to break the kiss, overwhelmed with sudden embarrassment and shame. "I- I'm so sorry, Gumball."  
"D-don't be."


	4. Chapter 4

Marshall felt the heat rise in his own cheeks as Bubba looked away, touching his lips discretely. He clearly wasn't upset or mad at Marshall, just... confused. More shocked than anything else. The bubblegum prince blushed as the vampire apologetically rested his head on his shoulder. He suddenly felt his body drawn closer to his friend's. He was now essentially sitting in Bubba's lap, who wasn't necessarily doing it for intimate reasons. The prince stared down on Marshall with his big blue eyes.

"Uh, why are you holding me like this Gumball? We're, uh, both naked."

"I'm aware Marshall. I'm holding you because I know that a lot of the times, you have to be someone else's backbone. You're always the one helping someone, even though you don't like to admit it. You're my friend and you've been there for me. I can tell you need a little reassurance. After all that's happened to you." Bubba whispered, clearly very neutral. Marshall blushed, embarrassed. He frowned and tensed, about to yell at Gumball for assuming things. He was sure he knew what Gumball was thinking. 'Damn this guy is desperate.' The pink boy took him by surprise though when he closed his eyes and just relaxed with him in the steamy water. After a while Marshall rested on Bubba in return, and they took a moment of peacefulness to themselves. It was interrupted by Marshall's voice, with a slightly awkward tone to it.

"So... what are we going to do?"

"The poison is spreading fast. The radioactivity is high and dense, some form of uranium or hydrogen. Immensely dangerous. If it gets to us we could die or worse... Get sick."

"So if I see the white fog again, I should give the heads up?" Marshall asked, recalling the night that it rolled over the Candy Kingdom without any warning. Bubba was away at a science convention with Marrow when it hit, and the vampire king was there with Fionna, just looking around for stuff to do and trouble to get into. Flashes of screaming and pain ran through his mind at the speed of light.

"Yes. Oddly enough the poison spreads like a mist. It is very slow, but I suspect it will become faster with time."

"What!? How!?"

"Something about chemical and nuclear reactions. It's so complicated. All I know is that you and I need to leave as soon as possible."

"Wait- how did you come back and get me with the poison still in the air?"

"My crown. The jewel on my crown protected me for the time being, but I assure you it isn't going to hold out forever considering the circumstances. Everything is losing its magic. Even my crown." He whispered softly to Marshall. The vampire nodded quietly.

"I'm... like, alive now, I think. My chest pounds sometimes and I can't float. I still can eat reds but I suspect that won't last much longer. Also I'm ridiculously vulnerable to injury. I can't transform into anything... I have to sleep. I used to get around fine for weeks without sleep. Now it's almost constantly weighing me down." He told Bubba his problems, and the prince nodded. He rested his hand on Marshall's chest.

"Do you know what that pounding is?"

"Um... It's my heart, isn't it? I mean- at least that's what I think it is. My heart. Hearts beat." He reached up to touch and feel Gumball's heart. He smiled and nodded, observing Marshall's curious expression.

"Right. Its your heart. It's pumping blood through your body. It's keeping you alive now because you're no longer undead. I'm sure that other bodily functions will come soon, like sweating and hormones and digesting and..."

"Right, right. I'll be essentially a human with pointy ears and fangs and bite marks and greyish skin."

"It might become flesh tone." Gumball suggested gently, and Marshall shrugged sadly. "If we manage to get out of here before the fog gets to us I'm sure you'll go back to your old self and feel good again."

"Where will we go to Gumwad?"

"To a place across the sea. It's a place far away from here, on another continent. It experienced a radioactive meltdown. Although I'm not sure yet what is causing ours, we need to leave..." Gumball said quietly. Marshall frowned, a bit panicked.

"What about our friends!? Fionna and Cake! LSP and Lord!"

"They're incredibly sick Marshall-"

"So were we but you fixed us!"

"It's beyond my control I don't-"

"You gave us a cure! If you could just-!"

"Marshall!? I... I can't okay!? I fixed your wounds, but your immortality and magic protected you. Fionna doesn't have any of that, and everyone else doesn't have much. Neither do I. I am so lucky that I wasn't there... I would have been dead first. Radioactivity absolutely destroys cells in the body. It can lead to mutations and, if lucky, immediate death. This kind seems to be mixed with magic, turning victims into mutated killing machines of anything alive. I don't know the cure for that Marshall. I couldn't even begin... I think the only way to help is to put them out of... their... misery." Gumball whispered, fear in his eyes and heart. He was very afraid. All he wanted to do was get the heck out of there before he and Marshall got sick.

"We'll... we'll get out of here. Don't worry about it. I won't question you again." Marshall spoke quickly, trying to reassure Gumball once more. He sighed, still pretty numb and drowsy.

"Marshall, why did you kiss me?" Bubba asked, quietly wondering aloud. The vampire took a deep breath and shrugged.

"I just... wanted to make you feel better. I could easily tell that you were in so much distress that I wanted to take it away. I don't know... I just don't know. Can we pretend it never happened?" Marshall asked, relaxed into Bubba's body. Neither of them were treating it weirdly or intimately. They were both men, facing the apocalypse, desperate. They only had each other. All forms of humans were kind, caring, intimate, social creatures. In desperate times, any previous rules, standards, or requirements of the way things should be disappeared completely. The boys needed to know someone was there for them, so the closeness was very important, no matter if it was perceived as wrong or right.

"No." Currently, Gumball was stronger and bigger than the vampire. He held him in his arms and lap protectively, keeping him safe and warm. Marshall scowled, unhappy with Bubba's response.

"And just why not!?" He asked, blushing majorly.

"The answer is simple. We cannot ignore anything that happens between us, no matter what. You're all I have now, alright? I understand if you're feeling that you like me because I saved your life. That is a very common response. I also understand if you kissed me because you feel that I'm the last one left. But don't worry Marshall, I'm not. There will be plenty of beautiful ladies for you to choose from in the future. This isn't the end of your life Marshall; at least, not yet. Don't think you have to like me for any of those reasons. You just... don't have to." Gumball said, watching Marshall's expression analytically. The vampire looked a bit confused, thinking about his jumbled up feelings.

He wasn't sure why he was feeling the way he was about Gumball. Maybe it was the poison in his brain. But then again, he had always felt affectionate towards Gumball. Even though the endlessly ripped each other to pieces, Marshall sometimes let Bubba have the last laugh to make him feel good. He also stole one of Fionna's framed pictures of the prince and hid it in his underwear drawer at home to make sure that no one ever saw. He occasionally had awkward arousals when with Bubba. He swore that Gumball never noticed. Marshall sighed quietly, rather unsure of what to tell him. "Well..."

"Please don't be embarrassed." Gumball encouraged as he watched the vampire's face. Bubba had a small inkling of an idea that Marshall liked him, and always had. The vampire's flirts were similar to those from middle school, such as teasing and poking fun. Gumball was never really sure though, and he was dating a chick for a while. The vampire had also gotten cases of excitement when he'd talk to Bubba, but ignore it. Gumball, totally unsure and unbiased, allowed the vampire to formulate his own answer.

"I... I don't really know how I feel Gumball. I don't know how I feel about anything anymore. I've totally just given up trying."

"Did you enjoy that kiss you gave to me? Do you enjoy being with me? Does this more intimate position we're in and the nudity bring you good feelings?"

"Well... Yeah, okay!? I think that I like you! I think I always have but I for sure know you don't."

"I am not judging you Marshall. Relax. If you have a crush on me that's alright."

"You don't have one on me so I just end up looking like a stupid gay idiot."

"Being gay isn't stupid Marshall. Please relax. People get crushes on people because they feel good around them and they are attracted to them. It's that simple buddy. Sometimes, a person finds a person and loves their soul and kindness and sweetness. It doesn't matter if that person is a boy or girl. Soul mates find a way to be together despite whatever barriers are between them."

"So... you like me back?" Marshall looked up quickly.

"Umm... well, not yet, but I can learn to! It may take a bit but I've never been in a serious relationship with anyone, and am completely neutral. We can try to be, if you insist." Bubba said, watching the vampire's face fill with delight.

"May... may I kiss you again?" Marshall asked politely, and Bubba nodded with a blush, flustered.

"Yes you may." This time, more prepared, Bubba closed his eyes as the vampire's lips met his for the second time. It was a smooth and calm kiss, directed mostly by Marshall. Bubba kissed back a little and slowly, blushing, trying to decide if he liked it. He wasn't too sure. Within ten seconds the vampire inquired.

"Did you like that Gumball?" His voice was hopeful and pleading. Bubba blushed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Call me Bubba. And... I don't know. It feels nice to be kissed, or course. Kisses are good. But... I don't really know how I feel." The vampire blushed deeply, taking a deep breath. "That isn't to say I'll never like it. I think it has to potential to grow on me, Marshall Lee. I'll become familiar with it, and may or may not learn to enjoy it. Don't give up hope, or hate me, I just need some time to process." Gumball hugged Marshall closely, who hugged back.

"Alright Bubba. I trust your judgment. I think- I hope you'll learn to like it."

"I may eventually want it. One day I may feel a need to have your kisses and touches. I'm willing to try it as we fight our way through this disaster."

"You're all I've got, and I definitely feel affection towards you. Thank you so much for giving us a chance..." The vampire blushed deeply, curling into the body of his brand new, possibly more than a friend. Gumball rubbed up and down his spine, keeping him close.

"We'll make it. I promise."


	5. Chapter 5

It didn't take very long for the vampire to succumb to sleep in Bubba's arms. It was hard not to. The water was warm, Gumball's arms were strong, and he was still recovering, therefore his body needed extra time to rest and recover. Bubba held Marshall closely and took some time to relax and observe him. He was awfully sweet, just how he slept and snored. Gumball curiously ran his forefinger over the vampire's warm lips, and smiled. Given some thought, maybe he could fall for the awkward, quirky vampire. After all, he was sweet and kind. He had his incredible attractive moments and even more strange awkward ones, but even that was cute. Gumball giggled very softly, noticing that the vampire was drooling a bit.  
"Silly guy." He whispered and wiped his chin gingerly. "You are kind of a sweetie aren't you? Although... you can be a nasty nasty man when you want to be." He blushed, recalling the horrible arguments. One time when Fionna, Marshall, Cake, and himself got their stuff stolen, they all went on an adventure together to get it back. Marshall and he had gotten into a nasty fight, and it brought both the boys to tears with anger and sadness. Marshall had gotten a good punch to Bubba's gut, and he had only gasped in shock and panic. Marshall panicked as well and left, but they all came together in the end and made up, especially after Marshall figured out Bubba kept his favorite shirt. He yawned softly and nestled into the vampire's neck. "You... you aren't my problem. You never were. You just... Get on my nerves sometimes! That's all." The bubblegum prince spoke apologetically in a gentle tone.  
In truth, Marshall always felt inferior and cornered when Gumball and he argued. He could never sound as intelligent or come up with good come backs, so he resorted to insults and things that he knew would wear Gumball down. He wanted to make the prince feel horrible about himself, and often times, he did. Gumball would cry himself to sleep a lot after Marshall would bash on him. Bubba couldn't hold a grudge though, and was very forgiving. It was still holding him back, restricting him from letting his guard down and falling for the vampire. Despite this, the prince had insulted Marshall on a cruel level as well, but the vampire still liked him. He sighed and decided to let it got and forget all about the pain they caused another.  
After a few hours, Gumball lifted Marshall up and carried him back to the tent. He dried him off, lied him down in the cot he himself had slept in, covered him up, and then cleaned up the bed Marshall soiled. After that Gumball dried and dressed, and then began to make a plan of how to escape, and a map. That was when Marshall began to wake, shifting and moaning softly. Bubba walked up to him with a smile and rustled up his hair, being careful of his stitches. "Hey buddy. Was your nap nice?"  
"I... fell asleep?" He blushed and slowly sat up, rubbing his arm, face all red and bashful.  
"Yeah. It was actually really sweet. It gave me time to think about my feelings and our history, though it isn't that great. We can have a new beginning I hope, you and I. Marshall I hope you know that I didn't mean anything of the things I said to you in the past. I want a clean slate. A tabula rasa."  
"Me too Gumball." Marshall cautiously hugged him around the neck, and Gumball melted into it, all warmed up. It did feel good, rather he wanted to admit it or not. All affectionate gestures and kind words were excellent in strengthening trust and a bond. "I know that I said a lot of very mean things to you Bubba. And when I say very mean, I mean awful. I should have never ever said the things I said to you." Before long, Bubba found himself in Marshall's lap, seeking the apologies and attention. "Gumball, I am so sorry that I pushed you over the edge so many times. I'm sorry I called you womanly, made inappropriate jokes, bullied you, scared you, and even punched you. I- I felt so... insecure." Tears pushed out of Marshall's eyes and splashed down on Bubba's cheek.  
"I forgive you, Marshall Lee. But can you forgive me for making you feel small and insignificant? I was just as bad and you know it."  
"Of course I can. I forgive you Gummy." He spoke as the warm hand of Bubba's simply reached up and wiped away the tears. Silence ensued for a bit, Marshall's heart beat elevating. Bubba blushed deeply, trying to relax in Marshall's arms as he felt the pounding in the older boy's chest. Eventually, he did. Suddenly, Marshall's stomach wailed for something to eat. Bubba chuckled, hopped up out of the vampire's arms, and then got them both something to eat. When full, Bubba explained the plan, and how it would be executed. Tomorrow during the day they would do one final look around the land to check and make sure they saved everyone they could, using the last strength of the magic in Bubba's crown jewel and jewel necklaces. Then they would take off at full speed during the night in hopes of finding a place of refuge.  
Throughout the day the vampire began to appear paler and paler with pain. The discomfort of his stomach was escalating. He tried to be strong and ignore it, but before he knew it he was in an unbearable amount of full force pain. Bubba noticed how horrible he looked and gave him some medicine, then lied him back. "My friend, you're supposed to tell me if you're not feeling well so I can help you feel better. You look ill."  
"Its just pretty ouchy on my belly." Marshall said awkwardly, trying to make it no big deal. Gumball wasn't dense though, and decided he needed to distract away from the pain for about ten minutes until the medicine got to work. He lifted the vampire's chin and ran his thumb over his lips. He appeared to be very confident, and it made Marshall's entire face turn pink. He rested his arm across his stomach gingerly and protectively.  
"Would you be interested in a kiss to make it feel better?"  
"Well... If you're not opposed, I like your kisses. I want to help you learn to like them back. So we can like like another. That would be very good..."  
"Shhh... Just relax and focus on my, uh, kiss." He blushed softly, feeling more and more like a virgin as each second sneaked by. He was somewhat awkward about intimate activities, kissing included. He hadn't done it much, but he enjoyed it for what it was worth. Gumball leaned in and kissed Marshall softly, making him feel better by taking his mind away from the pain. Bubba took his hand and held it as he leaned over the bed. Every so often Gumball would have to pull away for a moment to make sure they both kept breathing. He would then proceed, going back in for another. The vampire accepted each touch of the lips readily, smiling a little. It felt very good and Gumball's lips were sweet and tasted like bubblegum. No surprise there.  
The ten minutes passed very quickly, to Gumball's surprise. He really got into the kissing that time. He pulled away gingerly and smiled softly, blushing. "Feel better?"  
"I feel a lot better Gumball. I can't feel anything anymore. Thank you very much for taking care of me."  
"Don't mention it." The prince carefully undid the bandaging and pulled off the tape, revealing his stomach. "Perfect." Bubba whispered, relaxed as he observed his stitching, the skin simply pink around it. It was clear he was going to be alright by the way he was healing so well. Bubba carefully cleaned around the stitches, then let air get to the wound so it could heal faster. Marshall watched quietly, feeling attracted to the man that was taking such good care of him.  
"I don't really understand why I feel so nervous and weird. You give me butterflies Bubba." He said shyly, and the prince blushed deeper. "I really like kissing you and if you kissed me more I would like it a ton."  
"I- I know. I bet you would. I simply just... Need some time. It's growing on me. I feel some butterflies, but after we get the heck out of here we can just be ourselves and become more than friends."  
"Alright." Marshall sighed sadly. The good news was that Bubba wasn't saying no, but he wasn't saying yes. It was a tentative maybe. That was when Marshall fully realized that if he wanted Gumball to like him, he couldn't stand back and just hope he fell for him. The vampire realized he needed to work for what he wanted. Bubba looked aside thoughtfully for a moment, then sighed. Quietly, Marshall gathered the guts to take Bubba's hand and hold it. The pink prince blushed affectionately, a small smile spreading across his face. "Bubba?"  
"Yes Marshall?" He looked over, curious. The vampire's voice was quiet yet sweet.  
"I just... I..." The vampire got stuck on his words and in a whirlwind changed the subject. "Could we please drop by my house? I need to pick up a few things, if that's alright, and if we have time... I know Schwabelle would be okay, as she is completely undead, but I wanna take her with us. Plus I need my bass, a few changes of clothes, and my umbrella."  
"Only if it rains though. Remember, being out in the sunlight today while we bathed didn't hurt you." The prince reminded him. "And yes, of course we can stop by real quick. Now, you were going to say something before the topic of collecting your things? It was completely unrelated I think." Gumball raised his eyebrow, and Marshall ran his hand through his clean and soft black hair.  
"Um... Yeah. I just... I wanted to tell you that... That I wouldn't rather be in this situation with anyone else. You're a kind, accepting, gentle, sweet genius. I always had a crush on you, and it only grows whenever we're together. I also am attracted to you physically. I think you are handsome, and whenever I see you without a shirt or something I get this super odd feeling in my gut. I just want to kiss your skin, and take in your scent, and..." His eyes glanced up to see Bubba blushing badly, unsure how to react. "Be close to you."


	6. Chapter 6

"We're leaving tomorrow morning. First we'll do a sweep on the Kingdom and then we'll go to your house. After that, we really need to leave. Do you feel like you can move around on your own?" Bubba blushed, brushing off Marshall's words of admiration and love. He rubbed his own forehead, flattered but simply unsure. He just couldn't force himself to say something he wasn't quite sure about. He really liked Marshall, but he didn't feel ready to just pour his heart out all over the floor. He knew he couldn't expose it, or he'd be very vulnerable to destruction.

"Yeah I should be fine." Marshall said, eyes dropping to scan the floor. It hurt much worse than he could have ever thought, to be the one rejected. He blushed and crossed his arms, turning defensive. "We'll we'd better eat something and get to bed if one of us isn't willing to open up." He accused Bubba, and the prince only nodded and stood, understanding that he was upset.

"I have peanut butter and jelly. Plus some veggies and fruits from a can. I hope it'll be okay." He stood and walked to make some food, and Marshall finally couldn't take it any longer.

"You have nothing to say to me!? After I just... tell you everything! Glob it all, Prince Gumwad. Whatever." He yelled and rubbed his eyes, feeling sick to his stomach with anger and insecurity. He just told his crush how he really felt, and was completely ignored. Bubba sighed and walked over, and took a deep breath.

"I like you back. I... I'm just not going to drop everything and fall in love right away. We need to get safe and have a lot more alone time to fall in love. I'm very analytical and unsure, and like I said, I'm not the type to dive in head first. I'd like to test the waters, that's all. I just... need time. Please just give me some time."

"I- I'm sorry. I will. I'll lay off and give you some time. I promise. I just get so eager and hold my hopes high."

"I know, I know. Here." Bubba hands him dinner. "I suggest you eat it. I don't think your powers work at all anymore, and your digestive system is fully functional. Eat it but don't scarf it." Bubba ate his own food quietly, sitting on the floor. He drank something from a flask and Marshall raised an eyebrow.

"You drink?"

"Only when I get upset or... or can't stop thinking about something. It just numbs my mind and suppresses my worries. I know it isn't bad to have a drink every now and then. I never get drunk." He said, suddenly defensive. Marshall raised his arms in a submissive position and went back to eating, hungry. After finishing dinner Bubba handed Marshall the flask and he took it softly, wanting to seem like a big boy, and like he could handle a little alcohol. He took a swig and suddenly began to cough and hack. It was very strong, and he hadn't had nothing more than beer.

"Wh-what is that!?" He asked, the alcohol burning his throat and nose, making his eyes water. Bubba blushed and took it back.

"I always thought this was weak stuff. It's called Everclear but I mix it with Cotton Candy Vodka for taste."

"That is so strong Bubba! Oh glob I think my stomach is on fire!" Gumball shrugged and took another swig. Some time passed before he was clearly dizzy and impaired. It was more than obvious that he had a low tolerance for alcohol, but he couldn't really register the strength and potency of the drink. Marshall giggled as Gumball walked around slowly and stumbled a bit. "Buddy I think that you need to go to bed, alright? Sleep that stuff off." Marshall said smoothly, and Gumball nodded in agreement.

"Yes. I do believe you're right. You know what?"

"What is it Gumball?"

"I really don't like sleeping alone. Could I sleep with you tonight? It's warmer and I just need somebody. I feel... so alone. All the time... It's killing me! I don't wanna be alone anymore. No I do not." He said quickly, almost talking to himself. The vampire nodded and opened his arms warmly.

"Come here and lie down alright? You don't look well, and I'm pretty sure you need to sleep off that drink. Come here, I'll keep you safe tonight."

"Oh." Bubba smiled and nodded. "Okie dokie. You're a nice guy, Mr. scary vampire..." Marshall rolled his eyes and guided Bubba into his lap.

"Just be careful of my belly. You know it is hurt." He warned, and Gumball curled up into his friend's warm body. Marshall wrapped his arms around Bubba, and he gasped lightly in response.

"Oh! Marshall Lee, if we become a couple, would you promise to love me forever?" He asked in a soft way, ditzy with alcohol and tiredness. Marshall nods and leans over, wanting to kiss him. He knew this would be the only time that Bubba would actually allow some kisses and affection. The prince smiled and parted his lips some, not opposed to these smooth kisses or touches. The vampire doesn't waste a second to speak his mind, and the truth from his heart.

"Of course. I'm a faithful guy. Cheating is wrong. And right now, I tell you, I'd never want to be separated from you. I really really like you. You're attractive to me and that's all that I know. I want to be close to you. I like to kiss you..."

"I like your kisses a lot. Why don't you do this to me more often?"

"You don't want me to. Remember? You're not sure about it. You need more time." He smiled, reminding him of his own words. Gumball rolls his eyes and leans his head back, exposing his neck to Marshall's sharp fangs and warm pinkish grey lips.

"Oh, forget what I said. Show me a good time. Give me some kisses and grab on me... I haven't been made love to ever before." Bubba moaned slowly, smiling. Marshall raised his eyebrow and rubbed on Bubba's skin, under his shirt.

"Not tonight Bubba, you're kinda drunk, and I'm pretty sure we both need to be fully aware to actually do it. You and I both... I don't think... Have ever..."

"Nope. I have never ever made love. Not to a lady or a man. Never ever." He kissed on Marshall strong, fast, and sudden. The vampire's eyes widened and he gasped sharply. He moaned loudly, clearly enjoying himself as he became the more dominant figure, topping Marshall and leaning over him.

"Hey-!" Marshall cried out in shock, Bubba's weight pressing down on him. He was heavy and strong. He kissed the vampire's neck hard and sexually, sucking on his soft skin a bit. He pressed their torsos together, a pink knee pressed into Marshall's privates, an attempt to be sexual, not violent. But of course, it hurt and there was no way that in his state Marshall could do anything involving sex. "Bubba, stop it! That hurts and I couldn't do anything with you if I tried. Buddy you're so drunk I'm taking that away."

"Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't really mean to. I just got excited there for a minute." He retreated, rubbing his hair back and shifting awkwardly. He lied down beside the vampire, who leaned over and kissed his face lightly once more. He blushed and smiled, forgiven for his little outburst of need.

"Later. When we're safe and you're not tipsy."

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry." He yawned, and closed his eyes softly. Marshall rubbed his head, then leaned over and kissed him again on the lips. The prince, who liked this very very much, held Marshall's waist and kissed him with an open mouth and heart. It felt so good to have a partner. Soon enough Gumball fell asleep, and Marshall followed shortly after. The day to come was surely going to be stressful and upsetting.


	7. Chapter 7

Gumball awoke first the next morning, determination in his eyes. He glanced at Marshall who was still snoozing, then gasped and just about fell off of the bed. Bubba couldn't believe his eyes when he discovered that Marshall was flesh colored, and that his veins were showing and his heart was beating regularly like every other human. All that was left of the vampire was his two tiny puncture scars on his neck, and his fangs. Gumball cautiously lifted an eyelid to discover that Marshall's eyes were a natural and beautiful shade of amber. He turned the light on, noticing that his hair was no longer black. It was natural dark brown. Gumball rushed to the mirror and looked to himself.

The next hour or so was quiet and calm. Marshall sat up slowly and yawned, stretching up to the sky. He rubbed his eyes sleepily then gazed around the room, looking for Bubba. That was when he noticed a boy on the floor. A boy with light skin and hair so blonde it was almost white. He gasped and walked over cautiously, and scooped him up, unsure of who he was. He ran his fingers over the boy's pink lips, and patted his cheek in an attempt to wake him. Marshall smiled and squeezed his hand when he stirred, coming to life.

"Hello! You're okay! Let me call for my friend Gumball. He'll know how to help you." The young boy opened his eyes and took in the scene for a moment. He squinted a bit and Marshall began to call, "Gumball! The boy woke up! He looks about as old as you!"

"Marshall Lee, you're alright..." The boy sighed in relief, sitting up slowly, holding his head. "Oh my glob..."

"Wait..." Marshall's eyes shot open in shock and fear. He scrambled to his feet then clung to the side of the dresser. He couldn't believe his ears or eyes, and was in shock. "Bubba?"

"The magic is completely gone Marshall... We've taken our complete human form... Before the magic affected us years ago..." He whispered, standing slowly. "I'm sorry I couldn't handle myself any better. I saw you, then I saw me, and I just blacked out." He observed his pale hands, no longer pink. The vibrant turquoise jewels on his necklace and crown were now sapphires. He took off his crown and looked at it quietly. "All the magic is gone." He rested the crown on his head then hugged Marshall, who was stiff with fear. His skin was a horrible flesh tone, in his mind equating to vulnerability and weakness. Bubba guided him to the mirror and he just stared, bewildered with shock.

He himself appeared to be a 21 year old man, hair dark brown and eyes strikingly amber colored. Marshall shuddered, overcome with chills, a human reaction to a human emotion. He rubbed his neck, and touched his teeth, which wouldn't be there for long. He touched his cheeks with the slightly pale tint, then lifted his shirt and observed his torso. He was a human man. He took a moment to pull out the waistband of his boxers, checking on his length. All intact, just... pinkish skin tone. Soft. Living.

Bubba was now blonde, eighteen years old and a pale as a porcelain doll. He had countless freckles on his face and body. His lips were soft baby pink and his irises pastel blue. He was no longer made of any artificial material, and knew he was no longer immortal. He couldn't add some bubblegum to his body anymore in the situation of an accident. He hung his head, thinking very hard. He was still very smart, and still very wise, but this was an unexpected variable. He hadn't expected the magic to run out so fast. The radiation was destroying Aaa, the source. He knew if they got out and away from the poison, they'd return to their normal state. Every place on earth had magical potential, but Aaa was out of the question. Slowly being destroyed.

Marshall softly began to cry, feeling weak and afraid more than ever. With his powers he lost his bravery and his confidence. What was left was a scared man. Bubba noticed this and moved over to him, hugging him softly around the neck. "Don't be afraid, Marshall. We can do this together. I believe in us. Let's get breakfast, get packed, and get going. Everything will be back to normal soon. I know it. I promise. Cross my heart." The human prince of the dissolved Candy Kingdom took his pinky finger and crossed over his own heart. Marshall nodded and did the same, then ate with Bubba. Right after breakfast they began to pack up their stuff, and Marshall's stomach gurgled.

"Wait, I'm not hungry..." He said, rubbing below the wrapped gauze, uncomfortable. Bubba guided him to the toilet and blushed.

"I know you haven't done this in a thousand years, but I do have faith you can figure this out on your own. Pants off, sit, and relax. Wipe when you're done, then wash hands..." He ushered Marshall in and closed the door, then finished packing up all the stuff. By the time the last thing folded up into a tiny bag or bundle, Marshall walked out of the restroom, done. "Did you...?"

"Yes, yes I did. I hate it and I will never be doing that again." He was absolutely disgusted by it, having not remembered how odd and strange it was. Bubba laughed as Marshall scrubbed his hands.

"Marshall Lee, you'll be having to do that every single day until you get your powers back. Humans function in that manner. What goes in must come out." After Marshall dried his hands, he began to sob all of the sudden, mainly due to the stress of his whole entire life changing. It was scary and very new to him. Gumball just hugged Marshall, being brave and calm. He was afraid too, the situation unsettling, but he was just a little bit more open to the change. He had faith it wasn't a forever thing. The vampire hugged back tightly, sniffling. "Don't even think about holding it in next time you have to go. That will make you very sick and I am absolutely not in any mood to feed you laxatives." Marshall squinted, unsure how Bubba knew what he was thinking.

Bubba called Marrow and the bird swooped down within a minute. He hooked his hiking backpack on the saddle and mounted the bird, then helped Marshall up. The vampire locked his arms around Gumball's waist and leaned his head on his back, closing his eyes as the bird took off into the air. Their first stop was the Candy Kingdom. Bubba had no idea what it would look like when they arrived, but he wasn't prepared for what he saw.

Ruins. The entire palace and kingdom was destroyed. Everything was looted, there were dead bodies of candy people and of others that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Gumball scanned the palace grounds with Marshall, hoping to see a sign of life. Praying that Fionna, Cake, Lord, or any of their friends were okay somewhere, although it was highly unlikely. Marshall cautiously called down, trying to get the attention of anyone. "Hello? Fi?! Cake!? You two are supposed to be the heroes!" He called out, clutching Bubba's shirt in tight fists. They always were the heroes, until now.

"Marshall Lee!? Is that you!?" Cake's voice sounded out into the air. Gumball halted Marrow and in a joyous panic yelled to respond.

"Cake!? Where are you? Is everyone alright!?" He called, looking all around for her. He just couldn't see her.

"I'm so glad you came... We're okay. Everyone is okay." Her voice sounded, and a chill ran up and down Marshall's spine. He was stricken with fear. Something was horrible wrong, but Bubba didn't seem to pick up on it.

"Oh that's absolutely wonderful, but where are you!?" He called, looking frantically.

"RUN!" Marshall screamed and whipped the reins. The Marrow took off as a large paw of Cake's swatted at the bird, missing them by a few feet. She enlarged to fifty times her side and began to chase them, eyes white. Some off her fur was torn off, and she looked emaciated and dirty. Something was tied around her neck. She called out again.

"Why are you running? We're all okay..." She took another swipe at them again, missing. She had clearly been poisoned, demonically brainwashed by black deadly magic, turned into a mindless heartless zombie rather than killed. "Come back...! Fionna wants to be with you... I can take you to her."

"Faster Marrow!" He turned around, and with a small hand dart gun he had created in his lab, Bubba shot Cake right in between the eyes. She collapsed and tumbled, taken down but not killed. His hand shook violently as he lowered the gun, and all Marshall could do was mutter.

"N-nice shot..."

"Th-thanks."


	8. Chapter 8

**This is where it starts to get A.) disturbing and if you get past the icky part B.) intimate. Next chapter is definitely going to be... You know.**

"W-what was she talking about...? She can take us to Fionna...?" Marshall whispered as Gumball landed the Marrow near cake's body. They hopped off the bird and Marshall looked around, wide eyed. It was even scarier up close. For some reason the magic hadn't been dissolved off of Cake. She was only more powerful and even scarier. Even more dangerous and lethal. Gumball looked to Marshall with tears in his eyes, hands shaking a little bit. The older man noticed and hugged him tightly, drawing him near. It was obvious that he was very afraid, shaken up. "Don't cry, Bubba Gummy..."

"She's dead. Cake was trying to kill us to take us to her..." He sobbed harder and harder, and Marshall just stood tall, solemn and quiet. Surely that wasn't right. He planted a kiss right in the center of the top of his head, then pulled back.

"Let's go ahead and check up on Cake. She had something tied around her neck..."

"She- she did, didn't she? Maybe it's important. Maybe it can help us...!" He lets go of Marshall and rushes to the bag on her neck. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that it wasn't a bag, but a sheet. Something was wrapped up inside it. He pulled it away and unwrapped it. Meanwhile Marshall inspected Cake, eyes soft. She had her entire life ahead of her. He touched the side of her stomach softly and wiped a tear from his eyes. She had been months pregnant with Monichromicorn-kittens. He knew they weren't living anymore, and they never would. It wasn't long before he heard a horrible shriek from Gumball. Marshall sprinted over to see Gumball sprinting away at full speed. He was going as fast as his legs could carry him. Marshall ran after as fast as he could.

"Bubba! Bubba stop!" Easily Marshall outran the poor guy, grabbing him around his torso and picking him up. "Hold up Gummy... Hold up."

"Sh-sh-she ATE HER!" He screamed, struggling to get away from Marshall, very very scared. "Cake ATE Fionna!" He screamed again, voice coming from deep within his gut. Marshall struggled to get him under control. Bubba continued to cry and scream and fight, trying to run for his life, truly afraid. In a last ditch effort to get away, Bubba punched Marshall Lee very hard in the face. He gasped and pushed him away, trying to get him on the ground, but Bubba hit his head and passed out. The king picked him up softly and held his head, breathing hard. Blood gushed down from his nose onto his lip.

"I'm so so sorry... I'll get you safe." He carried him back and lied him down near the Marrow, which affectionately nestled around Gumball's unconscious body. Marshall then removed his shirt and held it to his nose as he walked around to the sheet. From a distance, he curiously observed the site. Slowly he walked up, not afraid of anything. Nothing phased the king of the vampires and the next in line to the throne of the Nightosphere.

When Marshall Lee saw the bones, he gulped. They were roughly Fionna's size, and covered in bite marks. Upon closer inspection long blonde hair was tangled up and matted with stale blood and dirt. It smelled like rotting flesh and blood. Marshall only fully accepted what he saw when he noticed that the skull was perfectly place in the white bunny hat Fionna always wore. Marshall stumbled away and threw up everything in his stomach, overwhelmed with absolute disbelief and horror. Blood from his nose dripped down as he heaved, dizzy. He wiped his mouth and nose, absolutely devastated. He didn't know what to think anymore. All he could do was take the hat and walk back to Bubba, who was curled on his side in silence, paralyzed by fear, traumatized extensively.

Bubba looked to Marshall, who carefully lifted the blonde prince. He murmured mindlessly under his breath as the vampire mounted the Marrow. Marshall nodded and rubbed his hair back as Gumball curled into Marshall's body. The prince pointed to Cake's half living body, and the king knew exactly what Bubba was referring to. Cake was miserable, not quite dead and an evil killing machine. He needed to do her a favor, as hard as it was, and put her out of her misery. With a small lethal weapon Bubba had created, he shot Cake's hindquarters. The cat lost any form of life, and slumped down facing the ground. The Marrow cooed quietly, singing a small song for the loss of life. Bubba quietly leaned his head on Marshall's chest, staring off into nowhere, stiff. Marshall called for the Marrow to fly to his home, and the bird did just that obediently. It knew something was tragically wrong, and could sense the heavy aura its master Gumball was radiating. Sadness, death, fear.

Marshall carried Bubba into his home. He lied the prince on the bed and rested his crown beside Fionna's hat on the nightstand. Silence. Calmly the king collected the things he wanted to take with them, including his crown, guitar, and cat. He also picked up a few gold pieces and his teddy Hambo. He threw on a clean blue shirt, and rubbed his eyes. He then looked at Bubba admirably, remembering when the prince had given up his beloved tee shirt so Marshall could get his stuffed animal back. The prince was a wonderful man, and had always been so kind and sacrificial. A man that was so sweet, it was hard not to love him.

The king grabbed a bag of ice and held it to the bridge of his nose for a small amount of time before placing it on the back of Gumball's head. His eyes shot open and he looked Marshall dead in the eyes before reaching up and grabbing some of the material on Marshall Lee's new shirt. The brunette smiled a bit and began to hum to his friend, who smiled a bit, and crawled weakly into his lap. The simple gesture was calming Bubba immensely, relaxing him. He then moved to words.

"Times are tough, darling I know

The world's crashing down, time moving slow.

Pain in our hearts, fear in our minds.

Let me tell you, it'll all be just fine.

A place far away, for just you and I.

I promise it's safe, I never lie.

We can be ourselves there, fall into love

Just me and you, and the blue sky above.

Don't be afraid, please don't fear

Sometimes life is scary, sometimes it's unclear.

With you at my side, I won't be alone.

We're meant to be, written in stone."

Bubba smiled and nodded slightly, toes and fingers curling up a bit as he adjusted. He was still in shock from seeing Fionna, but was so much better than before. He found solace in the man who was holding him tight, singing to him, promising to always be there and to eventually love him. The older man to his young counter part's hand and pressed his lips to it. Bubba's blonde hair fell in his eyes as he tilted his chin up to see his admirer. Marshall Lee Abadeer. The younger boy smiled dreamily, suddenly experiencing waves of emotion and attraction he hadn't known before. He felt a fuzzy and warm feeling swelling deep inside his chest. Unwilling to stop it, the warmth grew, extending to his belly and face, making him blush. Gumball straightened up and kissed Marshall without warning, finally feeling solid about this. Maybe it was because he was disoriented, or maybe it was because he wanted Marshall to make him feel safe.

None of the reasons mattered to Marshall Lee. He pulled Bubba up and wrapped his arms around him, then kissed him back gently, almost bursting with relief and joy. The prince kissed him willingly, on impulse. No analytical thinking, no regrets, no hesitancy or tentativeness. Just a gut feeling that he acted up. Marshall rewarded the behavior with a back rub and few kisses, elated that the prince was making such progress. Bubba whispered into Marshall's neck, very meek and quiet, but the words were so strong they packed a punch. "H-have me tonight."

"What do you mean Gummy?" He rubbed on Bubba's spine under his shirt, giving him goose bumps and making him shift softly. The prince nestled into Marshall.

"I d-don't want to die not kn-knowing what it's l-like to be loved. I want y-you to make love to m-m-me tonight before we leave to-tomorrow morning."

"Bubba..." Marshall whispered into the boy's neck, smiling brightly. His hair lightly fell into his eyes when he kissed Bubba's collar, eliciting a light gasp from the prince. Gumball's hands balled into fists around Marshall's shirt as the king slid his hands up his shirt, exposing his soft tummy, tightened up by the touches. The young boy whimpered lightly, aroused by the brand new experience, pastel blue eyes rimmed with lust. He'd been waiting a very long time for this moment.


	9. Chapter 9

**This chapter is YAOI!**

The older man kissed on his younger lover repeatedly, warming them up to the new sensations. Bubba smiled as he felt the warm hands of Marshall Lee slide up and under his shirt as he explored unknown territory. Both of them, a pale peachy color, humans. No special abilities, no eternal life, no magic. Just two boys learning to love in the only way they knew how- exploration. Neither of them had had any experience in the process, except for a small bit of information Bubba had been given by a friend hundreds of years ago. As time passed, Gumball lost any desire for intimacy, as he never felt anything truly special with anyone. Marshall though... Marshall was different. The way he carried himself was sweetly awkward. He couldn't imagine passing up the opportunity. Dying before knowing intimate love was heartbreaking. Young Fionna, only seventeen when she died, had never known true romantic love. And that was when Gumball froze, eyes brimmed with sadness.

"Gummy?" Marshall asked softly, pulling back, dark brown hair brushed in his eyes. His brow came together in slight confusion, unsure as to why he had frozen up so badly. The prince bit his lip and placed his head in his hands, going silent. Marshall moved to him and hugged him closely. "What is it?"

"I regret not being with Fionna, I... I regret not taking her on a date, I... I regret everything I've ever not done with her, even when she begged me to, and I-" He bit his lip hard, trying not to cry. "She never knew love. She never got held or kissed or..."

"Yes she did. The Flame Prince loved her, romantically for sure. You and I both know that you and Fionna weren't compatible enough. She crushed on you, yes. But it's even ruder to lead someone on rather than politely letting them down. They bounce back. She and Flame Prince aren't exactly-" He blushed. "Weren't exactly innocent. They... figured it out. She told me and I... Well... I know for a fact she wasn't lying. She made me promise to keep it quiet... from you and Cake and everyone. I did... But now she's gone so it doesn't even matter anymore." He whispered, noticing Gumball's pale face flush with surprise.

"Really...? There's no way, he'd burn her alive." Bubba spoke in disbelief.

"Not when the poor guy submerged himself in water for her. He was weak but nothing can stop a man and his excitement." He shrugged and the young boy blushed even brighter, but smiled a bit.

"I- I'm glad. The Flame Prince is a good man, I- I'm relieved she was able to share a connection with someone she loved... I feel better." He rubbed his blonde hair out of his eyes. He pulled away from Marshall and headed to the bathroom.

"Wh-where you going?" Marshall looked up, eyes wide, having been so close.

"Don't worry. I just need to get clean. I want this to be really perfect. By glob, I'm an 827 year old being. Still a virgin..." He blushed a magnificent shade of pink. He should have lost the title at least 800 years ago. "I'd like to finally lose the big v, but in a special way. Everything must be exact." He entered the restroom and turned on the shower, then began to undress. He began to hum softly, trying to clear his mind of stress and agitation. They had all night, and he was willing to take the extra steps for it to be memorable. The vampire stood and knocked on the door. "Yes?" Bubba stopped, only his socks removed.

"May... may I undress you, Gumball?" Marshall asked from behind the door in a very awkward way. The prince smiled and blushed while the king hid his face in embarrassment. That hadn't come out quite right. But Bubba opened the door with a gentle grin, eyes falling upon Marshall's, which immediately darted away. The prince nodded and smiled shyly, allowing the brunette in. "Why don't we shower together?"

"That would be fun..." Marshall muttered, then blushed deeply as Bubba giggled softly. Nothing coming out of his mouth was very suave or smart. The blonde slowly stepped close to Marshall, the corners of his mouth sliding down to a relaxed state. The king gently took his hands to the prince's shirt, and carefully lifted it off, revealing his torso. Marshall blushed but inhaled and smiled, feeling bursts of attraction. He kissed Gumball's neck quietly as his hands began to unbutton his pants, and the young boy shuddered while he watched. The reality of it all began to set into his mind. He and Marshall Lee, his best friend and his greatest enemy, were about to make love. "You do know how this sex stuff works don't you?" Marshall asked, cheeks burning up.

"I have a firm idea of it, and I can help guide you. Just don't be afraid to do what feels most magnificent. I give you permission to touch me anywhere, but for now keep the kisses above the belt." Bubba gave his simple rules. The older boy nodded.

"Okay, good. And of course. Same for me... for now." He nodded as the quiet sound of the zipper registered just above the sound of the water splashing on the floor of the shower. Bubba wrapped his arms around Marshall's neck, leaned his head back and let his pants drop and fall to his ankles. He quietly helped Marshall out of his shirt and pants, then hooked his index finger over the elastic of his partner's waist band. The brunette croaked a small elated moan in surprise, and nodded repeatedly, giving him consent to strip him. The pale hands of the young boy carefully and slowly removed the red boxer's his partner. He had more knowledge, and was willing to take the lead for Marshall's sake.

"Perfect..." Bubba purred as he looked into Marshall's eyes, wide with anticipation and concern. He hoped he was big enough for Gumball, but the boy hadn't even dropped his gaze. Doing as expected, Marshall removed Bubba's white briefs. He smiled at Marshall reassuringly, never losing eye contact in order to help him feel comfortable. He wasn't going to be judged on length, width, or anything. Gumball then drew him in closer until their growing erections touched. The king's eyes opened hugely and his pupils dilated, showing the signs of definite arousal. Gumball smiled and bit his lip, groaning softly, enjoying the sensation of his partner's excitement rubbing against his. It was so new yet so good.

Bubba took Marshall's hand and guided him into the shower, steam rising up from the floor and warming them. The younger boy carefully gathered Marshall's length in his hands and stroked, back and forth, knowing the entire appendage was sensitive and delicate, and that any gentle touch would send him into a frenzy. He rubbed back and forth, and the king let out a raw cry, fists clenching as they finally began their tender first time. While Gumball worked, Marshall took some shampoo and lathered his partner's blonde hair, occasionally tugging and crying out when a soft spot was rubbed on. The prince familiarized himself with Marshall, learning what made his knees weak and his heart pound.

Needless to say that the young prince was feeling very very needy as well. As soon as Marshall was done washing his blonde hair, Gumball returned the favor and the king reached down. He took Bubba into his hands and massaged it, rubbing up and down and in a special circular motion. Gumball spread his legs and whined into Marshall's neck, overwhelmed with pleasure and a need for release as he was being touched in such pleasant ways. He so badly wanted to finish, but he still had a ways to go before he peaked. The prince hitched his leg over Marshall's hip, pressing them tight together again. By now the hormones were raging through their bodies, sending them both into overdrive. Neither of the two could recall a moment so wonderful.

After getting clean, Marshall and Bubba got out and dried off quick, both eager to get back to their experimentation. The king rushed to the bed and lied on his back, knees up and legs spread, an open invitation for the prince to do as he pleased. Gumball tossed his towel to the side and crawled over the vampire, needier than ever. He had had times in his life where he was sure his abdominal muscles and his private parts were going to pop with tension, but now it was unbearable. Using what he knew, he moved close to Marshall and put his legs on his own shoulders, so that the king's knee was hooked over Bubba's shoulder. The younger boy sat on his legs and rested Marshall's bottom on his legs. He glanced up to see his partner lying there, stiff, eyes closed tight. His fists clenched the sheets as his heart pounded, and with every beat his privates swelled up and grew. It made Gumball whimper in pleasure, and he couldn't resistance taking his hands down there for some more rubbing.

Marshall's hips bucked up in surprise and pleasure. Gumball worked on him for a bit longer, then he snapped without warning. The king cried out and climaxed largely, all into Bubba's chest. He gasped lightly in surprise, then smiled, so glad Marshall came so easily. It wasn't over there though. While the brunette was distracted with pleasure, Bubba wasted no time and probed him. His eyes rolled back into his head as he finally began to make love to Marshall Lee. The lovers held still for a moment, making quick adjustments to help things along, and to be more comfortable. As Marshall entered the refractory period, Gumball took his turn and thrust his hips forward, sending a wave of pressure up Marshall's core, causing tightness in his gut. He groaned, smiling, eyes watering from the slight pain of the first time. It wasn't comfortable to have something enter his body in an exit only place, but when he concentrated on Gumball's cries of pleasure and the strange way it felt right, he convinced himself it was good. The length inside him was warm and gave an awkwardly addicting pressure. It felt good, slowly but surely. Bubba rubbed his lover's knees and continued his thrusting, pleasing himself in ways he never thought possible.

It only took three small minutes for Bubba to bring himself with Marshall's kind help to a finish. Marshall felt the white gold hit his insides in a gentle stream, and he moaned gratefully. Bubba cried out sharply, almost screaming in the dark, making Marshall grin. He loved to hear the raw and heated sounded the proper prince Gumball made when he was in heat. The prince panted happily, smiling, beads of sweat and drips of water from his hair crawling down his face and neck. For a few minutes longer, they rested together in order to enjoy orgasm and collect their thoughts. But it wasn't long before Marshall Lee was squirming in discomfort, in need of extra help. His refractory period was short and his body wanted more. Thankfully, Gumball could tell he was needy by the look on his face, and carefully slid out. The older boy groaned and shifted, eyes squeezed shut as he tried to hold back. They shot right open though as he felt Bubba lower himself onto Marshall's stiff and large length. His hips, due to the inexperience and shock, bucked up again. Gumball gasped and smiled, eyebrows furrowing in pain along with underlying enjoyment.

Not wasting any time, Marshall, along with Gumball's help, switched positions. Now the older boy had the reins, and Bubba was more than willing to lie back and do nothing but absorb Marshall's jolts and lurches. He ran his hands through his lover's hair as he lifted his knees to provide more room. His gut felt odd; as if a hole or gap had been filled inside him with Marshall's warm and stiff self. As the brunette thrusted his heart out, going as hard and as fast as he could, Gumball reached around and touched Marshall's lower privates, causing him to gasp. He smiled, then leaned down and kissed his lover on the lips gently, keeping close to him, forming a strong bond. A trust and faith that only true lovers shared. They smiled as they panted and kissed, worn mentally and physically. Soon Marshall was twitching and whining, needing a little trigger for a second big finish. He didn't need to look further than Gumball, who tickled right above his base, making him finish even larger than before. The rest of his fluids entered Bubba's body, and he squeezed his eyes shut, taking note of the feeling. It was bizarre, but good.

Exhausted, Marshall pulled out and wiped off Gumball's chest with an apologetic blush and glance. He hadn't meant to lose it all over him, but he did. "Don't worry about it..." Gumball smiled softly, admiring his brand new lover, mate, partner. "It was very attractive. It's sexy to lose control. Now..." He opened his arms and Marshall spared no second curling into them. He was so sleepy, and he felt so good. The brunette clung tight to his blonde before his eyes drooped. "Good night, Marshall Lee." He pulled up the covers and then his own eyelids felt heavy.

"Good night Bubba. Can I ask you... Do you love me yet?" Marshall asked, an arm draped over Bubba's body. The prince whispered immediately following the question.

"Yes. I do love you. I always have... I just haven't been brave enough to realize it and admit it. I love you, my sweet Marshall..." He chuckled, and all the king could to for a bit was grin brightly. His heart swelled in his chest and he kissed Bubba gently.

"I love you too, buddy. I love you too." Marshall managed to say before he passed out due to the intense love making.


	10. Chapter 10

By the morning Prince Gumball was up and about, packing up a sack with goodies, medicine, and tools. He brought sleeping bags and extra clothes, just in case. In the pillow, right between it and the pillowcase, Bubba had discovered a sweater of his that he had been missing for a very very long time. It was a cream colored sweater with an orange dreamsicle ice cream. He smiled as he held the sweater to his chest, inhaling deep. It still smelled like laundry detergent and Marshall. The prince had already showered, feeling filthy when he woke up. Marshall's release had crusted up on his body, and vis versa. They were both extremely messy.

After assuring that everything was in order, Bubba ate breakfast and rubbed his temples, reflecting on the events of last night. He finally had sex, eight hundred years into his life. It was absolutely incredible, and he wouldn't trade that night for anything in the world. He loved Marshall Lee and was unbelievably proud to call the man his boyfriend. Despite their current situation and the trauma of it all, they were together and shared heartwarming feelings. Their emotions were high and endless. Every single time Bubba's eyes dropped on Marshall, he bit his lip and smiled. His heart fluttered and he felt butterflies deep in his stomach. Never had he felt so good.

Marshall sat up slowly, coming to rather slowly. The intimacy of their night wore his body out, and his mind was just as exhausted. He looked around slowly, then smiled when he remembered everything that had happened to him. He looked over to see his partner gently wave, and he pulled the sheet up to his chest softly. The corners of his lips crawled up his face and he grinned bright, so happy to see the sweet blondie beside him, the orange sweater on his torso. He blushed deeply, understanding slowly that he had found the sweater Marshall took from his drawers years ago.

"I thought I'd lost this. Where did you find it?"

"I... I took it from you because I wanted you close to me when I felt upset." He played with the hem of the sheets sheepishly, embarrassed yet kinda glad he took it. It made him cuter and all the more innocent and sweet. He was fully aware that Gumball enjoyed the cute lovie junk. Anything sweet and cute. Gumball giggled and crawled up to him, then hugged him very very tight.

"How nice Marshall. I really made you feel better?" He asked, a little shocked.

"Well… Actually, yes. Even though most of the time it was you who made me upset. I wanted to be with you but I was so afraid. Conflicted inside. It isn't supposed to be, yet… yet I wanted it to be."

"Aw… You're right. It's so crazy, and I don't even think I knew how I felt for a long time. It's so confusing, all these different feelings and thoughts… I'm supposed to be straight as a spear, but I'm as straight as a sphere." Marshall giggled at the joke, and kissed his cheek.

"That's very cute, Bubba. Very. You know, I-" He was cut off by a knock on the door, and both of them paled. Marshall slowly turned his head, eyes huge, looking towards the door. "Who… who could that p-possibly be?"

"I have no idea. I don't… Maybe it's Fionna!" His eyes shot open with hope. He could make things right with the sweet blonde. He moved to open the door and Marshall held him back.

"Don't answer the door. I have to take a shower and get dressed, then we have to go. I feel something odd." He said, instinctually. Something wasn't right and it had to be fixed. They needed to simply flee, as they had nothing to fight with. Bubba took his hand and nodded, then Marshall slipped into the shower, grabbing clean clothes to change into. He very well knew they had a cruel, long road ahead of him. It was going to be challenging and frightening, but if they reached a better place, then it would all be worth it in the end.

As Marshall went off to wash, Bubba jumped as he heard more talking. He peaked out the window at the door, to see no one but the Flame Prince standing outside the door, his flame a sickly green color. His body looked worn and his fire was low, weak, and cool. He leaned against the door, eyelids heavy, body near giving out. Gumball ran to the door and opened it, then pulled the prince in and didn't speak a word. He needed to help his friend before it was too late, just as he had done to Marshall. He would be a helpful addition to their team on the way to a safe place.

Immediately he knew what the poor prince needed. Help as he transformed from magic being to just another human. He started the fire place and helped him inside, allowing him to rest near the warm fire. The prince curled up next to the strong flames and just fell asleep, weak and exhausted. Gumball sat beside him, hugging his knees as he stared at the prince on the rug. His mind wandered, as the prince was a decent age of eighteen years old. He had made love to Fionna, and for some reason Gumball really wanted to know if she was happy before she died. So when the prince opened his eyes again, he gasped in shock.

"Who- who are you?!" He gaped, never seen Gumball in his human form. He had been too disoriented to notice earlier.

"Prince Bubba Gumball, minus the magic. I know I'm not much but I'm going to help you. Please don't be fearful. You're changing to a human."

"Oh! H-hello Gumball... Damn am I glad to see you. We need to leave as fast as we can... The poison is crawling closer. Is there anybody else alive?"

"Yes. Marshall Lee is still alive. He's in the shower now. We're leaving very soon. Rest, you need to come with us. Rest while you can. Any news on Fionna?"

"I know for a fact she was gone. Cake ripped her to shreds when I reached her. I was too late. It was... Tragic." He said, voice shaken. Molten tears leaked from his eyes, and he closed his eyes, clearly unwilling to talk any more about the subject. Gumball burst into tears and whispered one more time.

"Anything about Lord Monochromicorn?"

"I have no idea. Please just leave it be Gumball? Please. I'm begging you. Leave it. I can't handle thinking about this anymore!" He sat up and cried harder, just falling apart. He covered his ears and began to mumble, losing his mind. He began to sob, devastated. He had loved Fionna, and now he was simply lost and lonely. "I don't know what to do any more."

"We just have to survive Flame. No more no less. Just survive and move on." Bubba whispered in a chilled manner, trying to keep him calm. It worked very well, as the prince stopped crying and just took a really deep breath. Bubba smiled a small bit, and used foil to supportively take his hand. The prince of flames calmed closed his eyes and tightened his hand, keeping very close. The touch and reassurance of another being was more than enough to loosen the tightness in his chest and help him breathe. Gumball smiled softly at him and the prince blushed.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Gumball?" He blushed deeper and the prince shrugged. The flames on his head slowly disappeared until all that was left was thin, red hair. He had clear and flawless skin, and vibrant green eyes. The Prince of the Candy Kingdom blushed and shrugged, rubbing his arm.

"You look a lot different, that's all." Gumball sighed and went to get him food when Marshall exited and saw him sitting there. He noticed that a new boy was sitting on the carpet and raised his eyebrow.

"I thought I told you to keep the door shut!"

"You did. I can't let the poor guy sit out there alone to die. We're taking him and I don't care what you say. I know you and he don't have the best relations but…" The Flame Prince turned his head as a groan escaped Marshall's throat. He scowled and the eldest of the trio sat across from in.

"I never liked you." He hissed, fangs still intact.

"That's a lie. You're very into me. You were so jealous when you found out about Fionna and I. So just drop it, okay!?" The prince hissed in a very low voice. It was such a tense and stressful moment. They glared into one another's eyes and Marshall didn't even move his away. The flame prince broke it first, jumping forward, kissing him with a passion that had never been displayed before. Bubba walked in with a glass of water for the now human flame prince, and dropped it right on the floor as his eyes fell upon his lover kissing another man. It was nothing less than heart breaking. The man he had made love to the night before was already betraying him.


	11. Chapter 11

"M-Marshall Lee!?" Bubba took a step back, eyes huge and full of devastated tears. Marshall yanked away from the Flame Prince, his face so full of shock he couldn't have been the guilty one. The prince eyed Bubba, confused, wondering why the heck he cared so much if they were kissing. "I trusted you Marshall!" He choked out, shaking.  
"I didn't kiss him Bubba! I swear- he kissed me! It wasn't my fault I swear!"  
"That's exactly what all the cheaters say! They break your heart and then blame someone else! You're lying!" Gumball sobbed. Marshall jumped up to hug him, and Bubba screamed much louder. "No! You don't care! Stop it, stop it! I don't want to be touched!" The Flame Prince hopped up and walked over slowly. Marshall turned and snapped at Flame with such unexpected fierce anger that he almost fell back onto his butt.  
"Damn it, you ass hole! Why in the hell did you kiss me!? I am taken and now the person I've worked so hard for hates me! And it's all your fault! He and I are together! Why did you kiss me!?" He yelled down on him, easily asserting his dominance. Bubba pulled Marshall back, wanting to solve the mess without a fist fight. Out of nowhere, he became top dog. Bubba pushed Marshall onto a couch, then glared at Flame to stay in his spot. The short blonde then wiped his eyes and spoke sternly.  
"I am going to get Flame Prince water. Stay your asses where they are. When I come back I expect to see you two as you are." He picked up the glass and exited, then Marshall narrowed in on the red head on the floor.  
"What was that for!? Bubba and I are together now! We are lovers! We had sex last night! I worked so hard to get him to trust me and within a few seconds you destroyed it! You have no reason to kiss me! You already gave it up to Fionna! Why would you even think about planting one on me!?" Marshall yelled, fueled with anger and adrenaline. Flame covered his eyes, holding his head in his hands, clearly not wanting to talk. Bubba returned and helped him off the floor, then onto the couch. Dryly, he spoke to the youngest of the trio.  
"Drink the water. All of it. I promise it won't hurt you now that you're a human too. Just relax and take your time adjusting. We have to leave in a half hour though. Marshall, do you have any extra clothes for him, I can smell him from a mile away. After you drink go shower." Flame nodded and did so, and Marshall pulled out some clothes that he would be willing to give the boy. When he returned, he noted Gumball crying silently into his hands, very confused and heartbroken. It served him right to let his guard down and fall in love. Marshall moved over to him, got on his knees in front of him, and wiggled his way into the younger boy's embrace. He huffed, "What do you have to say for yourself, Marshall Lee?"  
"I didn't kiss him Gumball. He kissed me. He pounced on me and I had no time to react. I hate him and he hates me, so there was no reason at all that I know of as to why he would put his lips on mine. I don't want him. I don't need him. I don't love him. I do want, need, and love you thought Bubba. We made love last night. I will never forget that. We made an unspoken promise to love and support one another through this apocalypse. So that's what we're going to do. Don't be mad at me. Please. Please?" He asked, pressing his lips to Bubba's.  
"F-fine. Fine. I believe you. You'd better be telling the truth. But why did he kiss you if he's a ladies man? You said that he and Fionna-"  
"That's what she told me. I don't know. Let's ask him after we set up camp in the woods tonight." Marshall suggested and Bubba nodded in agreement. It wasn't long before Flame was ready to go in a pair of Marshall's old jeans and a green shirt. They ate a small bit before packing their bags and heading off by foot. The Marrow carried their luggage, Marshall's cat peacefully perched on top of the things, and the bird hopped beside Bubba loyally. Marshall admired the way Gumball had such knowledge and control over so many things. He was intelligent and wise, merciful, sweet, gentle, and mellow. He had a stern backbone when he needed it and could dominate everyone by playing on their weaknesses. Marshall began to daydream about their time in the river, and especially last night. After many miles of walking, the prince slipped his hand in the king's as a reward for being so respectful and quite. He hadn't gotten into a fight with Flame, so as far as Gumball was concerned, it was a job well done.  
After hours and hours, miles upon miles, Gumball measured the radiation in the air and determined it to be safe. It would be in this area for another good twenty hours. Bubba set up camp, the same amazing portable tent unfolding by itself into what seemed a small place to sleep. Upon entering, it was much bigger. It was certainly deceiving to the eye. All the boys set up beds, and Marshall offered to get the fire started in order to cook a few hot dogs that they had taken with them. The Flame Prince stared longingly and sadly at the fire. That was when Bubba sat down beside him and began to speak with him about the earlier incident in a calm, collected, and nonthreatening way.  
"Flame, why did you kiss my boyfriend earlier?" He asked cooly. Marshall blushed beet red and smiled, flattered at the title. The red head rubbed his cheeks, trying to get his own blush to go away.  
"I didn't know he was your boyfriend Bubba. I'm sorry, it was an honest mistake!"  
"I forgive you. It doesn't matter anymore, Marshall and I have made up. I just want to know why..." He inquired, resting his hand on the young boy's back.  
"B-because I've always wanted to know what it was like to kiss a man. I... I liked it a lot better than kissing a lady." He whispered and Bubba's eyes widened the slightest in surprise. He hadn't been expecting that.  
"Did you and Fionna-"  
"No. We never did. We said we did because we wanted everyone to stop treating us like their little siblings and making us feel small. It... It worked. Marshall apparently gave Fionna way more respect, and my friends treated me differently too. Better." He said, rubbing his arm. "I liked her and all but it never felt... meant to be. She said so too. We had really good days but it often didn't feel right. Glob, I don't know what to do with myself anymore! I don't know how to feel about who, or what!" He said, holding his head. Bubba raised his eyebrow and began to think scientifically.  
"What excites you exactly, men or women? Who do you imagine your lifelong partner to be, a girl or a boy?" He asked softly. The youngest prince seemed to contemplate the question for a good chunk of time before looking up.  
"I suppose either would be just fine. I have no preference to be honest with you Gumball. Do you?"  
"Me? Well, I was much unbiased at first. I had no idea in what form my soul mate would come. A candy person, an animal, a creature, or a human like being. I waited eight hundred years to feel 'it' with someone or something. Turns out it was a creature, a male creature." He smiled as he waited for a reaction.  
"Hey! I believe I fit under the category of human like being, thank you very much! I am a someone, not a something!" Marshall barked and Gumball giggled.  
"Anyways I was neutral. Whichever way the wind blew me. I guess that could be considered bisexual but I never felt attracted to a man nor did I to a woman. Until Marshall, that is. I was waiting for my soul mate; the person that I knew I could not go on without. What about you Marshall?"  
"Um..." He blushed. "I don't know. A lady has nice lady parts and a guy has nice guy parts?" He shrugged, and Gumball raised an eyebrow.  
"Well, that's one way to say 'I'm bisexual.'" Bubba snickered, finding Marshall's response comical. He looked to Flame softly, knowing an easy way to bring forth an answer. "How do you feel about breasts?" He asked and the boy suddenly shook his head.  
"I never understood my friends' fascination." Immediately Gumball came to a conclusion. Flame's friends had impacted his preferences and orientation, but not on purpose. Because he felt pressured, Flame was with Fionna and began to have emotions stir inside him. Anyone with a romantic partner would, no question about it, no matter what age. A kiss is still a kiss no matter who gives and who receives. It still feels good, and still stirs emotions. It can easily fog one's mind and make their thoughts vague. Fionna and his friends had messed up Flame's emotions, but deep down inside he was attracted to those of his sex. And he had kissed Marshall in an attempt to validate his thoughts. Ultimately, he discovered he enjoyed it.  
"I'm pretty sure you're gay bud. Don't be discouraged though. There's someone out there who is meant for you, and needs you. All in good time." He spoke gently as Marshall handed them food. It was quite reassuring and moral boosting to have a warm meal. Flame looked towards the direction of the poison fog. He couldn't see it but he knew it was beyond the hills.  
"What if the guy for me is... dead?" Flame asked after eating, pulling his knees to his chest. This time, Marshall spoke.  
"Then the job is passed to another creature. If the person you're destined to meet dies, then another person becomes 'the one.'" He yawned, and Bubba gave him a skeptical look.  
"That or you meet them in a different stage of life."  
"Yeah." Marshall agreed. "Don't worry about it too bad. Everything happens for a reason, good or bad. Life comes in stages and takes lots of twists and turns. You can never know... Unless you're Schwabelle. She knows the future of anyone if she can look into their eyes. Too bad she's a cat." He shrugged, looking to the snow white eyeless kitty in the corner, snoozing away.  
"That's really quite phenomenal and disturbing." Bubba spoke as he looked at the cat. "Flame Prince?"  
"Yes?" He looked up with tired eyes. Bubba effortlessly lifted him and lied him down in a cot, sensing how tired he was. Finally he had protection from the poison and the poisoned.  
"He's out there, somewhere. I promise. Dream tonight. He may just be in one. Sleep well." Bubba turned out the light then sat beside Marshall, hoping for a little affection. He did not disappoint, wrapping his arms around the blonde prince and bringing him into his lap. The King of the Vampires kissed down on his lover slowly, reassuring him that he was committed to one person and one person only, the Prince of the Candy Kingdom.


	12. Chapter 12

"You're probably right. With Flame Prince here and all, we won't be able to have any sex without him getting an eyeful somehow." Bubba flushed all his color and shook his head back and forth, displaying that he did not want to be seen doing anything like what they did. Marshall smiled. "Why such a serious no?"  
"You know why such a serious no! You don't realize how vulgar it looks! I'm lying there on my back with the biggest erection I've ever had and you spread my legs and my rear is in full view and then you take your even bigger erection and shove it in me and then I squeal and I really like it but I certainly would never want an audience-" He took a huge deep breath, then continued. "-Because it is so entirely distasteful words can't even begin to describe it! Especially when we get rough on another and start making these terribly sexual and inappropriate noises and then you thrust and I scream and it is entirely unacceptable for anyone's eyes but ours because it's a special thing just for us to know and have and nobody else. So don't even to begin to ask me why I gave such a serious no because we all know why I did! Period, end of story." Bubba crossed his arms and scowled into Marshall's eyes, blowing out his nose in a little huff, finished from his little tirade. Marshall burst into laughter.  
"That was hysterical! I think that was the longest time a person has talked without breathing in history! I promise we won't have an audience when we make love. I will make sure that no one walks in on us, ever." Bubba nodded and wiggled out of Marshall's arms, then put out the fire. Back in the tent, the Flame Prince winced. It still felt good to be around a fire and it still hurt when one was put out.  
"Okay boyfriend. Time for bed."  
"Boyfriend?" Marshall asked, smiling.  
"Well... Yes. I'd prefer to think we're in a serious relationship if we're doing all that naughty stuff. Right?"  
"Mhm. Gotchya. But don't just call me boyfriend."  
"What do you mean?" Bubba's brow shoots up in confusion. "I'm not quite sure what you mean Marshall. Why is that so bad?"  
"It's not bad bud. It really isn't. It just sounds a little odd. Strange. Call me a nice name."  
"Like... Marshie Lee? Or lovie? Or buddy? Or babe?"  
"Uhhhh... I think Marshie is cute. I like to call you Bubs and Gummy." He says as they slip into the tent and get in the bed. Sharing one happily.  
"That would be alright as long as you don't use them inappropriately."  
"Fine. Whatever you say Gummybutt."  
"We did NOT agree upon that name!" He frowned in protest, but it melted away as he suddenly experienced the kisses of Marshall Lee. He kissed back softly, opening his mouth a bit to accept Marshall's snake like tongue. Marshall moaned under his breath, and when he pulled back to speak, grinned.  
"It was really sexy how you talked about our love making."  
"It... Wasn't supposed to be a turn on but... Okay. Sexy. I'll have to make use of my words and play on what is attractive to you. Have any fetishes?" He asked softly, going back in for another kiss. Marshall kissed warmly then curled in.  
"What's that mean?"  
"A fetish is something that is extremely attractive to you that may or may not be odd. What really makes you blush and turns you on?" He asked, eyes bright.  
"You know what? I am very much attracted to you when you try and take control. I like the rougher more raw and animal-like side of sex. Instead of making love, or having sex... I like mating. Emotions left behind, instincts guiding." He described his feelings and Bubba blushed deeply,not expecting such an intelligent and well thought out response. He had clearly given it some thought.  
"So would doing so outside excite you? Maybe on hands and knees?" He asked, just suggesting, one eyebrow raised. Marshall blushed deeply, nodding humbly, embarrassed by his feelings, but that did sound really really good. Quietly, he just smiled and spoke out.  
"Yes. Very much yes. That sounds really sexy. What about you?"  
"Well I kind of like the opposite. I think it would be highly attractive if we made gentle and cool and quiet love. Slow and smooth and sensual. But first we'd really really open up and learn about another. Not one secret left behind. Just really really love on each other. Kisses and kind words. Hugs and rocking another as we go at it. In a softly lit, safe, warm room. Blankets and pillows and flowers and moonlight." Gumball simply shivered, purely purely truly happy. Dreaming of the moment. "That would be my fantasy of ultimate happiness." Marshall slowly smiled, and nodded in agreement.  
"I think that would be excellent. It sounds dreamy and sensual. I would like that very much." He kissed Bubba in between the eyes and he giggled.  
"Perfect. Good night Marshall Lee. I love you."  
"Love you too. Goodnight. Sweet dreams."

Sometime in the night, Bubba received a dream. It was a very very sweet dream indeed. Bubba shifted uncomfortably and moaned quietly, experiencing bodily excitement. In his mind, Marshall was kissing on his neck and bare body, kindly showing his natural attraction to the younger blonde prince. It was super quiet and peaceful, and Marshall was so cool and super calm. They were back to their original forms, Bubba made of gum and Marshall a vampire without a heartbeat. The vampire woke up and looked to the smaller boy, who was whimpering softly, pressing his groin to Marshall's slightly bent knee. The brunette blushed at how the prince was conducting himself, but he quickly remembered that he was a human now- A simple, needy human kid. Marshall smiled, and somewhat awkwardly extended his hand and touched Gumball's face, expression showing sexual tension.  
Bubba woke with a slight gasp, and immediately pinpointed the odd sensation of pain and tension to be coming from his groin. It was a horribly awkward pain. He wiped the sweat from his brow after pulling away from Marshall, turning to face the other side, and tiredly muttering, "I'm sorry." The older boy absolutely wouldn't let it go though. He reached down by Gumball's crotch, between his legs, and slid his hands into the boy's boxers. His chilly fingertips met the blonde boy's lowers, and he drew in a sharp gasp of air. Shortly after, he moaned in relief and turned back to face Marshall, wanting more. He sleepily pulled down his boxers and whined with raspy breaths for Marshall to touch and caress some more. He blushed and nodded, reaching down to stroke and warm and fondle him. The minutes ticked by as the king gave Bubba a good rub down under the covers while he was half asleep. This way he was more vocal, sweeter, and sexier. He eventually rolled to his back from his side and lifted his knees in the air, spreading his legs, begging for more and more. The king worked furiously yet gingerly, rubbing and stroking and pinching and squeezing and pulling and twisting.  
When the young boy appeared to not be able to hold on much longer, Marshall took the soft pad of his thumb and rubbed the very tip, eliciting a pre-cum. Gumball drew in and blew out shaking breaths, going limp, waiting for the epiphany. Making sure Flame Prince was still asleep, Marshall leaned down and put Bubba's tip in his mouth. He sucked a bit and within seconds Bubba grunted and achieved orgasm, losing most of his supply of white gold for the moment. Marshall swallowed, unaffected, then licked the last bit from Bubba's stiff and thick but now relaxing sex organ. He wiped it off with a soft cloth then put his boxers back on his bum. When he looked at Gumball's face, it wasn't quite the expression he had been expecting to see.  
"Wh-what is it?" He asked noticing the absolute shock on the prince's face.  
"You... you swallowed it?"  
"Yes I did. It's safe and I don't mind. You don't give out all that much and it's so hot to see you writhing for a finish." He mentioned, eliciting the perfect blush from the prince. "Well... I can't kiss you 'til you brush your teeth." The older boy grinned and kissed him wide and open, taking him by surprise. Bubba grimaced and wiped his mouth when it was done, and Marshall pulled him down so they could lie down together.  
"Good night Princie Bubba G."  
"Good night, M-Marshall. I love you... Even though-" The brunette hushed him with a hand over his mouth.  
"I love you too."  
"Marshall?"  
"Yes?"  
"Thank you for coming to my aid and helping me orgasm. It always feels really nice. Thank you. Thank you a lot." He hugged him close, then curled up tight and closed his eyes. The older boy smiled slowly and wrapped his arms around him.  
"Of course. I could tell you were already half way there... So why not build a little trust and finish it. Sweet dreams."  
Both of the boys fell asleep in preparation for the long, treacherous day ahead of them. What felt like ten minutes later, Bubba woke with a sudden pain on his skin. He sat up slowly, dizzy, to see the Marrow panicking. Marshall and the Flame Prince were on their bellies, still blissfully unaware of their surroundings. Gumball frowned and stood, unable to hear anything. He couldn't smell or taste either. His vision was already blurry and his mind was slowing down and fogging up. He couldn't think straight. What was going on? What was the Marrow carrying on over? Within a tenth of a second, he had insight that hit him hard.


	13. Chapter 13

The air was thick, heavy, and hazy. Bubba quickly woke Marshall and Flame, screaming desperately and shaking them with all his might. "Get up!" He cried, knowing that at the very moment they were being exposed to radiation that could be the death of them. Marshall jumped awake after being jostled, but was groggy and slow. Although this lover was urgent, scared for their lives, he couldn't hear or see. He was completely blinded by the radiation as it affected each of them differently. He stood and took a few steps, bumping a wall. Gumball took his hand tight as Flame rose to see the boys desperately packing up to go. He couldn't even function, literally senseless.

With a thud, Bubba hit the floor. It had gotten into his brain and caused him to fall over. Marshall gasped and cried, then dropped to the floor and scooped him up. He held him tight, and even managed to find Flame with no vision whatsoever. Marshall, the eldest of the trio, held the other boys tightly and kindly. He kept them close to his body and did his best to protect them by creating a barrier with his body. Marshall kissed Gumball on the cheek and whispered a faint and soft goodbye, then blacked out.

Ringing and darkness was all that could be sensed. Marshall groaned softly, on his side, and immediately began to vomit, body trying desperately to rid the remainder of radiation from inside his system. He gasped sharply and passed out again as a needle is shoved into his back, and he could hear a few female voices. This alarmed him, causing him to cry out to Gumball. He was dead set on making sure that he was alright. Marshall lifted his head and, eyes still shut, tried to crawl and feel for his lover. He was given more medication and put right back to sleep. It took a while though, as Marshall desperately fought it to get to his Bubba without any luck. The sedatives took over and knocked him out.

The next time Marshall woke, he felt much better, but famished. He quietly sat up and looked around, vision still hazy. The hand of a powerful woman touched his shoulder and pulled him onto his back once more. He gasped and stiffened, eyes darting in her direction. She had long and large dark hair, and pale skin. He lied there, quiet, studying her with great confusion, unable to make out any facial features. "Is he awake yet?" An unfamiliar voice called out from a different location. Another young woman. It was high, clear, and sweet. He believed he was seeing and hearing things.

"Yeah he's up. Finally..." Marshall blushed and blinked, feeling small feminine hands run through his hair. The girl beside him had a strong, raspy, low voice, but was still feminine. Truthfully kind of sexy, in a way. Strangely, it was comforting to have someone, whoever it was, looking after him. He croaked.

"Where... is Gumball, and the Flame Prince?" He asked, stressed, still unsure as to if his friends were still alright or not.

"Hey, you're coming around, aren't you? Your friends are okay. Just relax, alright? My friends and I took care of it."

"I want Bubba. Bring me the little blonde boy. Rest him on me. Please..." He nearly begged, strangely too tired to even open his eyes any more. The woman blushed and rubbed his cheeks.

"Why do you request the boy on top of you? That's a little... Odd." She spoke calmly, and Marshall blushed. Unafraid of admitting his feelings anymore, he spoke loud and clear.

"He is my lover and I want him near me. We're partners and boyfriends and I don't want him scared when he wakes up. Please don't judge?" He requested, and the girl stood.

"Why... why of course not. That's pretty radical that you and he... are a couple. I'll go get him." The tall brunette walked over and picked up Bubba with some difficulty. He surely wasn't small or light, but it would be harder to drag the bed over. When she got there, she rested Bubba directly on top of him as requested, then pulled the blanket up over them. Marshall pulled his eyelids open to attempt to judge Bubba's well-being. He looked immensely better, just pale. The king gripped him tight in his arms shamelessly with pride and joy.

"Bubs... Glob I thought I'd lost you for good. I'm so glad you're alright." He whispered joyously as the smaller boy gripped his shirt tight in his fist. Marshall chuckled and kissed the boy's lips, indulging. The brunette woman blushed and smiled, surprised by their open affections, feelings, and kindness towards one another. She looked at her own friend and sighed.

"Hey Bonnibel!" She called and moved over to the young woman with beautiful light blonde hair to her knees. "L-look." She pointed to the pair and Bonnibel blushed and smiled.

"Are they a couple Marceline?" The Princess asked softly, looking over as her other dimensional self embraced Marcy's.

"Yes. They are. My twin labeled them as lovers." She turned her head softly to look at Princess Bubblegum. "They look happy, Bonni." She said softly as she moved quickly to peck her on the lips. The Princess stiffened but didn't pull back. It was clear her mind was getting in the way of her heart. Marceline sighed softly and shrugged. "Ask your twin how he feels with mine. Maybe you'll change your mind then." She moved to assist the young fiery haired girl as she brought the Flame Prince to rise. Bonnibel watched the boys quietly from a distance, so unsure of how to follow her heart. Bubba had clearly done so already, but he wasn't quite as strict or stressed as his twin.

After about ten minutes, Bubba woke quietly. As soon as he realized he was on a living, breathing Marshall, he cried with joy. It made him so happy to have the familiar face smiling back at him. "M-Marshall Lee, I thought we were goners! Marshie, I love you so much... Is Flame boy okay?"

Marshall kissed all over Bubba's neck and nodded softly, smiling. "Yeah, we're all okay. These really nice girls helped us. I think their names are Bonnibel and Marceline or something like that. We can ask them soon. My vision is still blurry, so I couldn't really see them. What about you?"

"I'm pretty much okay. Head is a little foggy and mind a little slow." He moved to kiss Marshall gently and romantically. They were lucky to be alive, together, and mostly okay. The king slowly sat up with Bubba in his lap and he felt his stomach rumble. Bubba's did similarly, and he blushed. "Gosh, I'm starving. When was the last time we ate?"

"Probably two days ago." The voice of a younger girl responded. "My name is Leah. I've made us all some breakfast stew if you'd like some. Luke has already eaten a few bowls." She states, and Bubba frowns.

"Excuse me, but who is Luke?"

"Uh... The young man you came with? The Prince of Flames?" She blushed as she brought them over a hearty soup.

"He never told us his first name." Marshall shrugged and began to eat, really hungry. They all ate as much as their tummies could hold, and by then Marshall and Bubba were fully functioning and better. Gumball hugged Marshall tight and Bonnibel walked over to them. Marshall looked up and waved when he saw her. "Hello, Miss... It's really nice to meet you. I appreciate you saving our lives... Thank you endlessly. You look quite a bit like Gumball." He said, noting the blonde hair, features, and skin. "You could be his sister."

"My name is Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum of the Candy Kingdom. I'm from another dimension of this universe. From the land of Ooo. The space and time continuum must have been ripped after due to the radioactive magic destroying earth... I'm afraid it may spread to other lands, but... Alas, even my science can't stop it. Magic is so completely stupid." She sighed quietly, distressed, never not knowing what to do. Bubba and Marshall gazed up in total shock and awe.

"My name is Prince Bubba Gumball of the Candy Kingdom, from the land of Aaa... And... I had no idea it ripped a hole in the dimensions. That makes sense though...! Damn, this is odd."

"Hey," Marshall thought aloud, "If that's so, are you and- her-" He pointed to Marceline, "Together?" He rubbed on Bubba's back, who shivered and let out a soft sigh of relief. Bonnibel shook her head.

"No, were not. Marceline and I struggle to agree and aren't exactly compatible people." She shrugs and Bubba sits up straighter.

"Take a chance. Marshall Lee was always a pain in my side and annoying and we fought a lot but... He's the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Agreed," Marshall added smoothly, "He understood me and my needs and ways and forgave me. We kissed and I felt on top of the world. I love him a lot. I wish I would have realized it sooner." He finished. Princess Bubblegum watched curiously, her long blonde hair so pretty in the sunlight. She rubbed her chin in thought, then looked over to Marceline, who was talking to Luke, the Flame Prince and Leah the Flame Princess. She walked over, took her hand, and brought her somewhere private.

Marshall Lee stretched up and looked around curiously, observing their environment. Interestingly enough, they appeared to be in a thick birch tree forest, a flowing river in the far distance. There was a tent nearby but they had been brought out for fresh air. Marshall shifts uncomfortably and frowns. Bubba looks at him softly.

"Is something wrong?"

"Y-yeah. I gotta go use the restroom." He stood as headed to the woods, oddly walking funny. Bubba watched him softly, curious. "I'll be back in a few."

"Okay. Be safe." Bubba stood and went off in another direction to do the same. After an awkward five minutes of uncomfortably trying to find a spot, the paranoid blond chose behind a big tree to go. He did his best to uncover as little of himself as possible before emptying his bladder. He then breathed a sigh of relief and hustled back, embarrassed. When he returned after a long ten minutes, Marshall was still gone. Bubba was instantly filled with concern, and set out in the direction his lover had gone.


	14. Chapter 14

"Marshall? Marshall Lee...?" Bubba called out, concerned, unknowing where his lover had gone. Marshall Lee had been gone for about fifteen minutes, and even that small amount of time was enough to make him nervous. He stopped a moment, considering giving the brunette privacy he probably wanted. Maybe his bowels were finally at work. The thought made him blush deeply, but to be honest, he didn't feel that was the case. Marshall had acted strange as he left, so it led the prince to believe that something else was up.

Deeper in the woods, Marshall sat behind a larger tree, face contorted in discomfort. He slowly unzipped his blue jeans and blushed majorly as he felt instantly better. The human body was constantly needy and felt weird often. At the moment, he felt an overpowering need to reach a sexual peak. Mostly to relieve the tension, but also because it felt pretty good. Marshall Lee softly pulled off his sneakers, setting them aside meticulously. He pulled his pants off the rest of the way, folded them neatly, and then lied them down on the ground, creating a place for him to sit on with his bare bum. He didn't want to sit in the dirt directly. So with one swoop, he pulled his boxers to his knees and sat on his jeans. He leaned back against the tree, already feeling himself blush as he observed the uncomfortable erection.

He looked all around him, very cautious. He had walked pretty far away in order to not be seen by anyone, as he was now part of a large group. If anyone caught him doing this, he knew he would be ashamed. It was so embarrassing, but he wasn't about to beg his lover for a quick session. Marshall took a slow deep breath and reached down and gently touched his hardened length. As soon as he did, he pulled back. It was so weird, and this was so tacky. He would be poked fun at for a long time if someone found out. Regretfully though, his hand moved back and he touched himself again, cheeks glowing red. After a few simple touches, he found the spots that made him feel good. He eventually blocked out his environment, closed his eyes, and focused on making himself feel better.

"Marshall? Buddy?!" Bubba called, now jogging out, looking around for him. This time, the king heard his prince and stiffened.

"I'm okay Bubba! Just- Don't go any further!" He could tell the boy wasn't far away. In fact, he was probably thirty feet behind the tree. Bubba blushed and held his hands in front of his body.

"Are you sure you're alright? You sound different..." He spoke, taking a few steps closer. He spotted the shoes and became confused. "Why'd you take your shoes off Marshall? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes!" The older boy spoke, biting the inside of his cheek. So far he hadn't been successful in finishing. He sure as hell didn't want Bubba to see him like this, so pathetic and horny. "Could you just go on back and give me a few more minutes?" He pleaded, voice raspy and labored. Gumball ignored Marshall's pleas and walked right up to the tree Marshall was hiding behind. What the blonde discovered definitely made him blush.

"Marshall..." He smiled a bit and rubbed his arm. "Here. You don't need to be embarrassed. Remember? I needed your help the other night... Now I can return the favor."

"I told you to stay away... Why didn't you?" Marshall leaned over his lap protectively, upset and above all ashamed. "I didn't want you to see me like this." He said sharply, and Bubba lowered down beside Marshall. He kissed him softly on the lips.

"Have you never touched yourself before?" The younger prince asked as he guided Marshall to lean back, therefore exposing himself again.

"Of course not. I've never needed to do this... Not until I turned into this weak human form." He spoke in an irritated way, still in discomfort. The blood was pooling up and making him swell. Gumball took his gentle hands to the delicate area and began to touch.

"Well, now that you're no longer a vampire, you have extra hormones and needs. You function differently now. That's just fine. One time I had to touch myself, before I was even a human. Before all of this nonsense even happened." Gumball stroked Marshall's underside constantly, causing his hips to tremble and he to groan from the gut. Bubba smiled and sat on Marshall's thighs, then began to work on his lover. He had a chance now to prove himself as a sexy, impressive mate. Marshall bit his lip and cried out softly.

"Wh-why?" Marshall asked, now completely putty in Gumball's hands. His toes curled in his socks as the nimble fingers pinched and rubbed in all the perfect places. Gumball was talented at knowing the perfect pleasure places. After all, he had studied both male and female anatomy in his younger years in order to better understand the past that was once full of humans. Gumball gently worked on Marshall as he thought of an answer.

"Well, you see, I was always the odd one out. A pink kid with no hopes of ever falling in love. I didn't think it to be possible and I didn't care. But I did care for my health, and as I was a young adult, I found it important to keep my sexual health up high. That requires an orgasm here and there, and to reach orgasm, you have to be stimulated. If you don't have a partner you have to take it home yourself." Bubba gently removed his shoes and pants, giving Marshall time to catch his breath. He left his shirt on because it was brisk out, and if anyone else happened by he didn't want to be completely naked. Marshall watched as Gumball pulled off his briefs and moved closer. He took several deep deep breaths and lowered himself onto the older boy. He wiggled and squirmed at first, panting, obviously in a great deal of discomfort. It was such a tight fit and he had to stretch a lot to make room for Marshall's long length.

"Ohhhh... G-gummy... You don't h-have to go all the way with me..." Marshall whispered, pulling up his knees as the young prince sat on his lap, impaled. Bubba leaned against Marshall's torso and began to pant, in a lot of understandable pain.

"Next time we need some slippery stuff... It's so tight and... Oh! So tight..." He mentioned again as Marshall thrusted a bit. "Hold your horses please." Gummy smiled as he kissed Marshall, continually readjusting his position until he was comfortable with the way they were arranged. Bubba had one leg bent and one leg extended out, and he was leaning forward above his elder lover. Marshall stroked up and down Bubba's privates, then began to twitch. He began to pre-finish into Gumball, who encouraged it. "That's my boy... That's it... Let me have it Marshie Lee..."

"Mmmm... I uh, I feel it." He groaned solidly. "Are we... a-alone? Safe?" The king softly tugged on Gummy's privates, making it hard for him to string words into an intelligible sentence.

"I... Probably... No one else... Ah!" He gasped as his lover beneath him orgasmed unexpectedly into his core. Bubba shuddered hard and grinned, making soft sounds of pleasure from the back of his throat. He too was quickly escalating into the need to finish. He didn't want to lose it all over his partner's body, so he pulled off really carefully and aimed away. The brunette pulled Bubba into his lap, used his hand to guide the finish away, and kissed on Gumball's neck softly. He remembered him saying how he liked the idea of soft and gentle, sweet sex. He spoke kindly.

"Thatda boy Bubs... You're safe... I've got ya, I promise... Finish sweetie- There it is. Good boy Gummy... Good." Marshall praised him as he let go and climaxed, curled up in the safety of the king's lap. The young prince was so sensitive to Marshall that he finished on mere words and kisses. Bubba shuddered with his eyes closed, limp in his partner's protective arms. The brunette waited a few minutes before tickling on his little innocent lover again, eliciting another climax. Bubba gasped and squeaked, then lost the rest of his supply for the time being into the grass. The pleasure crawled up and down his body and he shivered, the bottom half of his body exposed. The older boy rested a hand on his pale tush in order to cover it up. Gumball smiled and spoke gently.

"You- you've gotten a lot better at knowing what pleases me..." He mentioned gently. The king was becoming more suave and less awkward, therefore allowing Bubba to take a backseat and go with the flow. Both men were still unsure as to who was more dominant, but it really wasn't an issue, as they found a good balance. Bubba could top if needed and so could Marshall, and they weren't weird about it in any way. The prince smiled and yawned innocently, then pulled his knees up to cover his privates. The brunette grunted, pleased with himself.

"I have gotten better, haven't I?" He leaned back, soaking in the feeling of success. He felt he had improved. "You're still smarter and better at it though." He yawned and began to dress Bubba, ready to go back.

"Not as talented as you. I learned from books. You started cold and rose to the occasion." Gumball mentioned as he pulled on his pants and stretched, shoving his shoes on. The elder boy did the same.

"You know I really wish everything was okay again." He stood slowly, checking on the wounds on his body. The skin was bright pink, new and tender. He smiled a bit then moved over and kissed Bubba's cheek. "Thanks for saving me again." The prince blushed and chuckled.

"'Course. I'm glad I found you..." Bubba hugged him tight around the neck. "We should be headed back now. The others are probably waiting.

"Right. The others." Marshall said softly, the image of the dark haired girl coming into mind. Bubba nodded softly and took Marshall's hand as they took the ten minute journey back to the camp. The came upon Luke and Leah talking gently, Luke comforting the sweet girl who was crying gently. They overheard just a small bit.

"I didn't get a chance to talk it through with him." She spoke, talking about her late ex-boyfriend. "And he was gone, like that. I wish the feelings and emotions could have been settled." She whimpered, and Flame Prince nodded.

"I know exactly what you mean." He pulled the princess into his lap and rocked her, both upset over their losses. "Hey! Bubba, have you seen the other girls?"

"No... I haven't. Have you?" Flame Prince shook his head and so did the princess. They looked just like siblings.

"Well if they're doing what Bubba and I were-" Bubba quickly elbowed Marshall in the gut and shrugged.

"I guess we'll just wait for them to come back." He said then glared at Marshall. The brunette rubbed his tummy and snorted.

"What was that for!?"

"You know exactly what that was for you dork!" Gumball rolled his eyes then took a deep breath. "Where are we, anyways?"

"We're in a land far from the Candy Kingdom and further from the Fire Kingdom. Not sure where exactly. To be honest I just want everything to go back to normal. I wish it was all better..." She sighed, and Gumball nodded. Suddenly, an idea hit him and he gasped.

"That's it!" He reached into his backpack and pulled out an amulet. "A long time ago I got this. It has immense power and if used correctly can grant a wish. It is the source of balance and power among all kingdoms and keeps everything in order. It's our best shot! If we wish everything back to normal it'll work!" He grinned and put it on his neck. It began to glow, and he felt power shoot through his body. "I can't believe I didn't think of this before. So simple." He took a deep breath and carefully spoke. "I wish that all dimensions and all universes affected by the poison, and the great people, creatures, and environments in them, would be restored to their prior conditions." A great light flashed, and all went silent. The one wish had been granted.


	15. Chapter 15

When Bubba opened his eyes again he was on his back, in his bed. It was bright inside his bedroom window. He sat up and smiled, feeling warmth in his body. Sugary tears splashed down on the covers as he observed his pink skin made of bubblegum. It was so right and felt so good. He was back in his old body, and there was nothing more wonderful in the world than being normal. He stood and grinned, dressing quickly. Surely Marshall Lee was in his house right now, relaxing in his bed, touching his ears and fangs and bite marks on his neck, intensely overjoyed to be a vampire again. Fionna and Cake were in their tree house, waking up for the day. Flame Prince was in his small house, sleeping, probably as his mother tried to convince him he was evil. All was back to the way it was before the apocalypse.

Marshall awoke in his bedroom, in his own house, in his own cave. He gasped and looked around. The wish had worked! It had worked and they were finally back to where they belonged. The safe, wonderful land of Aaa. It couldn't have turned out more perfect. He pulled up his bluish grey tank and observed his belly, scarless and grey in tint. Perfectly good. His hair was pitch black again and his fangs sharper than ever. He looked very very healthy and happy again, a night and day difference compared to his human form. The vampire hopped up, and then threw on some pants to go see Bubba, eager to just hug and kiss him. He'd never been happier in his life.

"Oh glob! I bet he's back to his gorgeous handsome self too. Pink skin and magenta hair... The wonderful tall strong prince made of gum..." He slowed, thinking about it. He really loved Bubba, and wasn't ashamed of it. Marshall grinned as he imagined reuniting with his sweet boyfriend and all his once dead friends. He turned to his side, looking for the gorgeous picture of Gumball that was proudly on the couch side table. When he saw the face in the frame, he stopped cold in his tracks. He took a few steps closer, and his jaw dropped. "No... No, this can't be..." He held up a gorgeous framed picture of Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum. "This can't be happening..." His voice quivered as he began to shake, the picture falling to the floor and shattering. He drifted away from it, back into his bedroom, and fell back as he passed out entirely, hitting the bed with a thud.

Bubba gleefully threw on a nice pink and purple outfit, dressy pants and suede shoes and a nice light pink shirt with a deep violet bow tie. He put on his reader glasses for the sexy smart guy effect, then walked to check on all of his people. They were all blissfully unaware of anything that had happened, most likely because they had all been killed quickly. He stopped by Fionna and Cake's house, just to check up on them, also confirming they had zero recollection of the past gruesome event, thankfully. He finally made his way to Marshall's house, inviting himself right inside once he got there.

"Oh Marshall Lee! I'm here! I couldn't keep away long-" He paused as he noticed the picture frame on the floor.

"Marceline? Something happened! Everything is back to normal now! I think your silly doggie knocked off your beloved picture of me. It's broken now!" She called as she bent over to pick it up. "Man, now there's-"

"-glass all over! Marshall!" Bubba yelled as he picked up the photo of himself and set it back. He eyed Schwabelle as she walked by. "You naughty kitty. And it was such-"

"-a nice frame. Marcie...! I miss you! Come and give me-"

"-a kiss, would you?" Bubba entered Marshall's room and his heart jumped into his throat when looked down. It wasn't at all the person he expected to see. Gumball felt his entire world flip upside down and his body reacted accordingly. He sank to the floor, shaking, breathing unbelievably fast.

After regaining a bit of common sense, Princess Bubblegum stood up and checked the heartbeat on the male vampire's body. Nothing. She groaned, tears sliding down her cheeks. How could she be so dense? Vampires don't have heartbeats. She put her hand by his mouth and felt lukewarm breath, the sighed. He was alive and okay, but not who she wanted to see.

Bubba Gumball carefully took the Vampire Queen into his arms and sat on the bed with her. If she was just like Marshall, than she deserved to be treated like him. Gumball held her close, whispering his apologies, keeping her safe. She eventually grabbed his shirt, comforted by the arms around her.

Bonnibel Bubblegum stared down at Marshall in her arms, brain racing to come up with a way to return him to his home, therefore bringing her Marceline home. Prior to this she had no idea there was another dimension just like her own that contained gender opposite identical twins. She had no idea where to access the other dimension, let alone how to get into it. She began to cry, devastated, missing her own lover.

Bubba cried too, for a significantly long amount of time. Marshall meant everything to him, and now he was far far away. Gumball was crushed in the thought of never seeing him again, but it wasn't completely hopeless, like he was dead or anything. Just unbelievably hard to get to, in a place that might as well have been nonexistent. After a few minutes he put the covers over the floating vampiress and whispered, "All I can do is just pray that my Marshall Lee is safe and sound wherever he may be. Hope that maybe-"

"-Gumball is keeping her calm and reassuring her. Gosh, I hope she still remembers and loves me... Oh Marceline, I'm going to-"

"-Find you. And when I do I am never letting you out of my sight ever again no matter what circumstances. You're my lover..." Bubba trailed off, grabbing a sheet of paper and beginning to write down as many plans as he possibly could. The mission? To get Marshall back. When someone knocked on the door, he hopped up and rushed to greet the person standing on the other side. When he saw Fionna, he hugged her tightly and sobbed. "I'm so glad you're here. I have a huge dilemma. I came here to check on Marshall and something isn't right. It's really stressing me out, and I just don't know what to do. Maybe you could assist me, brave adventurer?"

"Of course I can. Pshhhh. Easy. What's the problemo Peebles? How can I assist you?" Finn asked brightly, green backpack slung over his shoulder, smile bright and eager. He loved a challenge. Jake followed him into Marceline's house, able to smell a strange imbalance in the chemicals in the air. There was another dude in the house, other than Finn.

"Yeah, what's wrong Princess Bubblegum? You look very pale... Maybe you should lie down or something." He suggested, smelling the air with a confused expression.

"That's very kind of you to suggest, but I can't. I'm very worried about Marceline. She isn't here, and I have an inkling of a thought of where she may be. I need your help to find her."

"Marceline's gone missing!?" Finn gasped, eyes wide. "Oh glob, we have to find her! Of course I'll help find her! Oh my glob!" He gasped.

"I do I smell another woman in this house?" Cake inquired as Fionna gasped, worried sick over her bad boy vampire friend.

"Because there is another woman in this house. She is Marshall Lee's counterpart from another dimension. Her name? Marceline. There is also a counterpart for you both. A boy named Finn and a dog named Jake." Bubba said slowly, letting it all sink in. "We need to get back to the other dimension, because I'm pretty sure that's where Marshall is. If we're smart, diligent, and careful, we can get him back." Bubba said bravely, though he was very afraid. "We need to get Marshall back, period. We need to."

"And we will your highness. Together." Cake said soothingly, able to see the special look in Bubba's eyes, indicating his feelings for the vampire. She could read emotions like a book.

"Oh, poor Marshall Lee..." Fionna whispered. "I want to see this Marceline..."

"No sugar pie. Let the lady sleep. She'll be way the heck scared out of her element. Let her be." Cake said softly, patting Fionna's shoulder. "We'll get this nonsense handled."


	16. Chapter 16

Fionna moved next to Gumball and tried to peep in the door, curious to see what the woman version of Marshall looked like. "I bet she's beautiful. As handsome as Marshall Lee is..." She spoke softly, noticing her long flowing black hair. Bubba smiled a bit.

"Yeah, he is handsome isn't he?"

"What?" Fionna turned her head and looked at him, confused. "Why do you think he's handsome? You're always whining about him for some reason. I'm not sure why you'd ever even think about giving a compliment... Especially one that praises him for his looks. My goodness globin gracious."

"Well..." Bubba blushed. "I dare say that when Marshall dresses in a grey vest and a red tie he looks... handsome. Very handsome indeed. I get jealous..." He admits, and Fionna blushes. Prime opportunity to flirt. Now that Flame and she had broken it off, even after claiming to have had sex, she thought she seemed ten times more desirable. She moved in, wrapping her arms around Gumball's neck.

"I think you're handsome. Sweet and gentle." She whispered in his ear, pressing her chests to his chest. A red blush spread all across his cheeks and he backed up a few steps.

"Woah woah there Fi..."

"Honey cakes you're getting your hormones all over that boy." Cake spoke up, knowing that Gumball wasn't feeling it and that he definitely wasn't going to. Fionna blushed and backed off.

"Cake, that's embarrassing!" She whined to the mother to be, who shook her head.

"Not as embarrassin as you pressin to a guy who isn't much into your lady parts." She said with a good amount of sass. Fionna covered her bust slowly, frowning.

"Wha...? He's a guy! All guys love boobs! Why does this have to be so HARD?" She pitched a fit.

"Shhhh..." The prince pleaded nicely. "You'll wake Marceline. I'm sorry but I have a significant other now."

"Who...?"

"I've fallen into love with Marshall. He loves me back. We're together now, and very very happy. But now he's gone missing and I- I-!" He almost began to cry, but instead looked through the list of possibilities. Cake rubbed her stomach softly, watching Gumball's lower lip quiver.

"Relax sugar boy. You'll find your man. You're smart. You can do it. We can help you." She said as Fionna plopped on the couch, totally confused. "Well who am I supposed to love if there's no one left to love me?"

"Baby, you're killin me. We'll deal with your guy troubles after we get Marshall Lee back here. Glob, I'm sittin down." She said dramatically as Gumball began to comprise a grand, master plan to get his lover back.

"What... What happened?" Marshall Lee slowly floated out from the bedroom, slowly. Princess Bubblegum turned around and greeted him with a halfhearted smile.

"The dimensions twisted. Somehow things turned back to normal, but alas, you and Marceline ended up in the wrong place. I'm doing my very best to restore order among the universe and get you home." She said as Finn looked up from the couch, noticing Marshall Lee and his features.

"Yeah! He is handsome in correlation with Marcie's beauty." Finn stood and inspected Marshall, who blushed, pulling his knees up as he levitated, finally back to normal.

"Uh... Thanks." He rubbed his arm softly and looked around, sighing. "Tell Marceline I'm sorry for breaking her frame."

"Ah, don't worry about it. I can get her a new one." She sighed and sat as well, trying to keep her composure. She missed Marceline dearly. Awkwardly, Marshall made his way to grab something red from the kitchen. He leaned against it as he sucked the sweet hue from a few strawberries. He then sank to the floor and cried, hard. It was silent but heavy, making his throat and chest hurt as he blubbered, pulling his knees into his chest and blubbering. He was away from his lover, his friends, his mom, and the Ice Queen. Everyone he loved was gone and basically out of reach. For twenty minutes, Marshall just sulked, until Jake came in.

"Hey man, you don't look so good." He sat beside him softly. "It won't take too long before Bubblegum figures it out. She's the smartest person I know. Once she comes up with a portal or vortex or something you'll be back home with your... lover?"

"Yeah. My lover is Prince Gumball. Bonnibel's alternate self." He admitted quietly, letting himself be weak mush. Usually he'd be threatening to bite and hurt and destroy someone who walked in on him crying like a baby, but he wasn't in the mood to be mean. After all, they were going to try and help him get home.

"It'll be alright man. Just chill." Jake sighed, rubbing his own arms.

"You look a quite bit nervous yourself."

"Yeah, Lady- My wife- Is gonna have our litter soon. By soon I mean basically at any day now. I'm so freaking out. Nervous. I have to be there for her when she has them. I'm kinda nervous about being a father and all that stuff." Marshall nodded and smiled somewhat.

"I think you're lucky. Kids are typically pretty great. They can be a handful but you'll never once regret it." Marshall said wisely, and Jake nodded a bit. "Cake was pregnant with Monochromicorn. A big black long horse. Their species had countless wars before, but they fell in love. Sound familiar?"

"Dead on." Jake nodded softly, smiling. "Dead on." It went quite for a bit before Jake looked up. "I wonder if Bubblegum has come up with anything."

"Let's check." The pair stood and walked in to find Finn petting Marceline's undead poodle. "Hey, where'd the princess go?" Marshall asked, nervous suddenly.

"She left a while ago to get to her lab. We can go there if you wanna." Finn responded as he stood tall.

"Let's go." He looked through Marceline's closet but everything was too small. He grabbed the comforter and threw it over himself. They headed out into the sunlit day, making the trek to the Kingdom. Once inside, they made their way to Bubblegum's lab, where she was constructing a huge, gorgeous piece of machinery. A portal of sorts.

"Woah PB, that's awesome!" Finn gaped, observing it with curious young eyes.

"Thank you. I should have it done in three days or so. Then everything will go back to the way it was before this giant fiasco even occurred!" She huffed dramatically as she moved around. Marshall nodded and looked around. He only hoped Bubba was in his room, working feverishly to get him home.

"Thanks for helping me Princess." He offered gently and received a slight nod. "I'm doing this for you and Marceline. Just hang in there and bear with me for now." The trio of boys headed out, clearly bothering her and distracting her from her work.

The group of girls exited and Marceline looked to them with a blush. Fionna noticed and smiled a bit. "Hey. What's up?"

"I- I was wondering if I could crash with you girls tonight. I'm feeling so out of my element. I won't take up much space. I'll be a small little bat in the corner of a couch. Please?"

"Of course sweetie." Cake answered immediately. "I understand completely. Let's go on back to the tree house and get something to eat." She said smoothly, always very confident and reassuring. Once back at the house, the gals ate and chatted a bit.

"So, Marshall likes Gumball?" Fionna rubbed her eyes, overwhelmed with confusion. Marcie noticed this, and figured Finn felt the same way about her and Bonnibel. "How does that even make any sense?"

"Child, people can't control who they like or why they like them. It's just the way it is. There's a person out there for you too, don't you worry your pretty little heart. There's always someone you're destined to be with, no matter how impossible that seems." She smiled, then frowned.

"Cake, you okay? More kitten kicking?" Fionna asked softly, used to Cake's different reactions by now.

"Mmmm... I don't think so. I think they're ready to be comin... Sweet mama, I'm thinking tonight!" She groaned and Fionna jumped up, knowing the plan.

"I'm calling Mochro and Dr. Prince right now!"

"Tell him he'd better hurry and if he doesn't get here I'll kill him! Both of them! Oh goodness gracious contraction!" She called and Marceline went to her, brain freaking out, but because she was a woman, she had motherly instincts. She stayed completely calm and gently picked Cake up.

"Having them on the bed?"

"Yes. You're gonna have to lay a lot of towels down. I mean a lot! I don't want this craziness ruinin my sheets!" Cake said firmly as Marceline carried her upstairs to where she knew Jake's bed would be. She lied out the towels by request, and Cake lied down on her side, wincing.

"Just breathe deep, and, uh, stay relaxed..." Marcie blushed deeply, and as another contraction hit Cake, she wailed.

"That horsie boy had better have his big black butt here! Where's the doctor!?"

"Mochro's almost here Cake, but Doctor Prince is like a hundred miles away helping someone else!" Fionna called from downstairs, clearly nervous.

"Great!" She groaned, figuring she could handle it on her own. "Sweetie you don't have to come here or nothing- AH! Damn!- If you don't wanna. This may be a bit mature for you...! Sweet Jesus!" She cried as the pain escalated and contractions grew stronger and lasted longer.

"I can help Cake, don't worry. I've been around a while." Marceline assured her. Mochro was there within a mintue, tapping on the bed.

'I got here as fast as I could.' He messaged in Morse code, frazzled. She tapped back very quickly.

'Boy, YOU did this to me! I am-'"AHHHH!" She squealed as the first truly heavy contraction hit her. Marceline instantly knew it was time to push.

"PUSH!" Marshall yelled, and Lady wailed as she did. Jake watched and held her hooves, the typical nervous father. Finn was downstairs, covering his ears, not wanting to see, hear, or be involved in the birth in any way. It was way overwhelming. The vampire was surprisingly good at what he was doing. He certainly wasn't a doctor, but over a 700 year time period, he learned a thing or two. He'd witnessed a few births, and this wasn't any different. After ten minutes, the first pup was out. Then another, and another, and another, and another. Soon, five squirming Rainicorn puppies were arranged on the bed, and Lady was curled around them, Jake at her side. Marshall washed his hands, then went downstairs and waved at Finn. "If you wanna see you new niece and nephews, you can..." He smiled softly, feeling quite proud. He helped himself to a snack as Finn rushed upstairs to greet his new family members.

Marshall looked around a bit before grabbing a notepad and pencil, then crashing on the couch. He 'sat' by floating above it, then began to write and doodle. Soon he had lyrics to a new song, a journal entry about his day, thirty three things he loved about Gumball, and a portrait of his lover. He tore out the pages, folded them neatly, and then put them in his pocket. He took off his shoes then transformed into a small, fuzzy bat. The vampire curled up in the back corner, thinking about his Gumball, wishing he was up against the prince's strong chest. The intense homesickness and the thought of being without his greatest friend brought a lump to his throat. He cried himself to sleep, whimpering and blubbering until exhaustion pulled him under.

Gumball sat in the corner of his lab, head against the wall, quiet. There was a lump in his throat as he sniffled and cried, fearing the worst. He wasn't sure if he'd ever see the love of his life ever again, and it was truly devastating. He longed to have Marshall's lukewarm body next to his, touching and rubbing on his intimately, innocently, romantically. Bubba took off his crown and observed it, hating himself. He was the one who made the wish that separated them; that tore them apart. He would have rather faced the end of the world than be without the man who loved him. Tears infused with sweet sugar slid down his cheeks as his heart longed to take back the mistake that tore them apart.


	17. Chapter 17

The next few weeks were filled with pain and loneliness for Marshall Lee. He missed the warmth of Gumball, the kindness in his voice, the sweet way he was treated. He longed for the smell of chewing gum in the dead of night, and the sweet taste that lingered on his lips after kissed. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, wanting everything to be better. Princess Bubblegum had sworn no more than three days, but the task was impossible. Creating a portal to another dimension was never done, and highly dangerous. It required unbelievably high voltages, manipulative magic, and dark magic. Try as she might, the Princess could not crack the code that separated the worlds.

Gumball worked as hard as he possibly could, day and night, writing on his white board and putting pieces together, doing all he could to get Marshall back. He read through hundreds of books in order to form some kind of hypothesis and instructions. On the twenty fifth day, at three in the morning, the prince gasped in delight and turned on the tiny contraption that made a portal through the floor. He squealed in delight, turned it off, and sprinted to Marshall's house as fast as his legs could carry him to get to Marceline. He swore he'd done it. He had used his knowledge to create the impossible. Once he got there, he knocked feverishly.

"Marshall Lee! Open up! I've got it, I've got it! Open the door, open the door!" The princess grinned, overwhelmed with glee to see her Marceline. He opened the door without hesitation, grinning ear to ear.

"Oh thank glob you've done it! What do I have to do, princess? Tell me. I'll do anything- everything- to get back to the other side!"

"I know that, so I'm asking you to use your smarts and be very very careful. This portal I set up will lead directly into your house back on the other side. Go through slow, nice and easy. I don't want anything bad to happen."

"Me either. I'm so ready. Turn that beauty on!" Marshall begged, and Bonnibel set it on the floor with a great deal of delicacy. She turned it on and stepped far back, and within five seconds a gorgeous purple swirl formed on the floor. It was so bizarre, looking like a purple puddle. "I'm coming Bubs..." Marshall tried to reach in, but was deflected. It was hard as a rock underneath the portal. He wasn't going through anything. After trying for ten minutes, even standing in it, he didn't get anywhere.

"It isn't working Prince Gumball." Marceline said meekly, tears in her eyes. "I cant work, but I can keep trying. I can try until I die, and I will if it means getting you to Bubblegum and getting Marshall back to me. I will find a way."

"How long do you think that'll take?"

"Probably a few more weeks. I'll find a way to get it done, I swear. Please don't cry..." He begged as the vampiress walked off, looking at her absent reflection in the mirror. She was so immensely afraid that she would never be happy again. She cried a little harder, remembering once when Bonnibel reassured her that she was pretty, even though she had never actually seen herself. The princess made her feel good, even when no one else would. It made her angry suddenly, the feeling of true hopelessness crawling into her throat, suffocating her. She screamed, overtaken by the fear of truly being helpless and useless.

"Why is this so unfair!?" The heartache and fury was clear in Marshall's voice, loud and clear. Princess Bubblegum jumped in surprise as Marshall wailed in anger and threw his fist into the mirror with all the power he could muster. It shattered around him, some pieces cutting his skin like glass, some cutting into his hand, most shattering to the floor. Immediately he pulled his hand into his body, nursing it and assessing the damage to his skin and bones. It hurt a lot, but was relieving to let off some steam. The princess looked down, guilty for her failure. She wanted to break down herself, but she was to civilized to do so. She apologetically looked up, eyes full of sadness, eyes scanning the pieces of glass everywhere and empty frame. What she saw in the frame caused her to freeze.

Bubba looked into the frame where the mirror had once been, seeing something that made his jaw drop. He saw a pink skinned, magenta haired woman exactly where he was standing. He covered his mouth, as did the woman. He quickly looked away, figuring his brain was playing a sick joke on him. All he wanted to do was see Marshall, so he saw himself as Bubblegum, who was in the same dimension as his sweetheart. He rubbed his eyes as Marceline grimaced, noting she needed medical attention. She walked over to him, holding up her broken and cut hand. The prince made sure it was clear of mirror pieces, cleaned it, wrapped it, put on a stent, and then wrapped it again.

"We'll go back to the hospital and get it set correctly immediately." He said as he looked up, back at the frame. What he saw made him scream, and caused Marceline to stumble back in fear and shock. She turned to see what he was so frightened of, then found herself standing still.

"Bonnibel?" She whispered.

"Bubba?" Marshall whispered at the exact same instant. The prince and princess both moved towards the mirror, at first slowly, quite sure it was an illusion. Marceline stepped through the frame to get to her side first, and hugged Bonnibel tightly, joyously. Somehow, someway, order had been restored to the universe. As soon as Marshall stepped through the frame and into Gumball's arms, only wall showed through the negative space of the frame. The girls had vanished, but the pair were too busy running towards another to notice. As soon as Marshall flung himself into Bubba's arms, a huge sense of calming spread over them. Together at last, after being apart for so long. Marshall shuddered as soft pink hands gripped him tightly, fingers digging into his shirt.

"I love you so much Marshall! I- I'm so sorry! I made a horrible mistake and I thought I'd lost you forever!" He sobbed, collecting the older boy in his arms, preparing to take him back to the castle for some much needed medical attention. He was already bleeding through the makeshift gauze. Marshall cried like a baby into the chest of the younger pink boy, so scared. He clung so tight that it would have been impossible to become separated again. "I've got you big boy..." Bubba sniffled, rocking his boyfriend like a big baby as they walked through the dark night to the Candy Kingdom.

"I missed you Gumball, I missed you more than you could ever even imagine..." He said, small frame shaking. "I truly thought we would never see one another ever again. I thought it was over..."

"I'd have worked until I lost my life. I would have never ceased to try and find you. Never." Prince Gumball moved him into the hospital in a rush, where Doctor Icecream did his best to reset, clean, cast, bandage, and sling Marshall's hand. Once finished, he smiled and gave Gumball a pat.

"I'm glad you found him, your highness. Truthfully, I am. Now can I give you some of that sleeping medication now?" He asked, moving to his cabinets to find the correct medicine for Bubba.

"Yes. For he and I both? I think we could both afford to take a long long rest. Pepper?" Bubba called out to her softly, and she arrived within minutes. Marshall was clung onto Gumball, and he didn't even think about pulling away.

"Yes sir?"

"Could you please do me a favor and clear my schedule for the next three days for vacation? I need them badly. Also, could you change the sheets for us while Marshall and I prepare for bed?"

"Oh, of course sir! I'm so glad your contraption worked!" She grinned, hustling off to do as he asked happily. Marshall blushed as he got his medicine and took it.

"It... It didn't work..." The vampire rubbed his sore arm, frowning, in pain.

"Good thing you have a temper, or we'd still be blubbering, getting absolutely nowhere." The prince kissed him all over after taking his medicine. Doctor Icecream moved Gumball away a minute to give Marshall a shot of numbing medicine in his arm. It worked like a charm, making his hand painless in only two minutes. Gumball picked up the king and carried him up the stairs, cradling him and soothing him with kisses that barely grazed his skin and warm words of love. All chaos had dissipated with a desperate act of violence. Both Marshall Lee's and Marceline's punches hit the mirror from both sides, opening the portal to the other's dimension. It was phenomenally simple, but so entirely complicated. Why a mirror, and why the mirror in the Abadeer house? It was so strange, not even the prince or princess of the Candy Kingdom could figure it out. But they didn't have to anymore.

"Bubba, I think... The medicine is... getting to me." The vampire spoke, eyes already drooping, showing that he was fighting the urge to fall asleep. He kept his eyes focused on Bubba's, observing his face with such care and consideration. "You're so handsome, Gummy." He said softly, blushing awkwardly, still trying to find the right words to say to his partner. The man who got him though everything. "Wait- How did all your subjects know that we were... A thing?"

"I made it clear to them. I told them I finally settled on a choice of partner and that was you. They were shocked, but not too bad. Apparently when we fought, most of the time we appeared to be flirting... Imagine that." The young prince removed his crown and then undressed, changing into silk pajamas as Marshall watched with a half conscious grin. The prince then moved over to the king and helped him remove all his day clothes. The prince grinned when he found a very large pastel pink sweater with a big chocolate covered strawberry on the front. Marshall's red boxers that he had on matched the sweater, and Bubba chuckled joyously as he felt his own body begin to slow, mind fogging and lagging. Eventually he crawled into bed with Marshall for the first time in a stable, safe environment.

"Everyone is okay, Gumball? Fi and Cake? Everyone else?" The vampire asked, fighting the drug's effects best he could.

"Yes, Marshall Lee. It's all okay... Were... was everything okay over there?" Bubba drew Marshall in with one strong arm and spooned him perfectly.

"Yeah. I helped a wonderful girl give birth, and drew some pictures, and sang some songs, and thought about you most of the time." Marshall mentioned casually and Gumball chuckled.

"Really? That's... so brave. You helped a woman give birth?" He asked again, just to make sure he heard it right.

"Yeah, Lord Mochro's opposite, Lady Rainicorn. She gave birth to her and Jake the dog, Cake's opposite, puppies. It was really quite... amazing." The vampire drifted in and out of focus.

"Good night, my hero. I love you. Sleep deep and keep close..." Gumball spoke warmly to his drained boyfriend, giving him permission to sleep.

"Good night Bubby. Love you too." Marshall was the first to lose consciousness, and Gumball was mere minutes after. The men held tight to another all night long, relieved to have their best form of comfort and happiness with them again. Marshall turned into Bubba during the night and nestled into his body, seeking the warmth. Gumball pulled him closer, kissed him a few times, and gripped his sweater. They were finally reunited with another after almost a month of separation, and the major anxieties and fear that came with it.


	18. Chapter 18

At about three in the afternoon, the drugs finally wore off of the Candy Kingdom's prince. He slowly lifted his eyelids and lifted his torso away from the soft bedding. He looked around and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, allowing his brain to catch up on everything that had occurred in the past twenty-four hours. He looked to the ceiling and held his hands together, grinning ear to ear, tears leaking down his cheeks. He was overjoyed as he felt the warm breath of Marshall Lee on his hip. It was almost like a dream, but better. His older partner was at his side again, sleeping innocently. He smiled and just began speaking to himself, and glob. "I don't know what I did right, I don't know if I really deserve to have him back, and I don't know if it's just dumb luck. Maybe it was something Marshall did. I'm not too sure it was written in the stars, because we did quite a bit of manipulating of the order of the universe... I couldn't tell you. Maybe it was a miracle. If you're up there big guy, and you intervened to help us, thank you. I knew that you wouldn't discriminate... We're just... In love. So why does it have to be so weird to others? So wrong to the world? Dear glob, I really hope that Marshall and I being together doesn't truly upset anyone. I know how the rest of the world sees him, but I see him from a different perspective and under a new light. He only wants good and it's what he strives for. Sure, he's chaotic and sometimes a little annoying and scary, but he only acts like a cornered animal..." Bubba reached down and rubbed the vampire's hair, smiling happily. "He's about as scary as his threats..." The prince leaned down and kissed his friend's cheek. When Gumball's stomach growled, he blushed and yawned, starving. He wiggled out of bed, still in his silk pajamas. He shuffled to the restroom, went about his business, and then walked downstairs to grab some breakfast. Unfortunately, he had missed the breakfast hour from six to eleven, and had to settle on some lunch instead. After stuffing himself, he gathered anything red that Marshall might enjoy, then walked back to the bedroom. Along the way, out of nowhere he was knocked into and sent onto his butt in the hallway. Most of the fruits, vegetables, and other goodies went everywhere, the plate sent flying into the air. "Ow! What in world- Be more careful! Honestly!" Gumball stood and looked to the figure that had smashed into him. "Marshall Lee!" He gasped and knelt in front of him, eyes wide and frantic. "Oh my glob, Marshall, what's wrong!? Where were you going so fast?" The young prince asked as he pulled him into his arms, pressing their torsos. "I- I thought that... That... you were gone! That you'd been taken from me in the night! I got scared and I went looking for you as fast as I could! I- I found you...!" He breathed out hard, relaxing against the younger pink man. "You did find me Marshall..." He whispered with a chuckle, easily helping him up. He leaned down just a tad to kiss his boyfriend on his chilly lips, then began to pick up all the food. Marshall began to eat right off the floor, causing Bubba to blush. "Ummm, I can wash those off for you." He raised up an eyebrow. "Bubs, the dirt here is candy. Everything here is candy. I can't get sick from candy germs, don't worry. Plus, I stick my fangs in and only drink the red, so don't even worry about it. I promise, I'm not a savage weirdo." He smiled halfheartedly, and the prince blushed deeper. "Marshall I never said that and I didn't even once think it. Don't you go putting words into my mouth..." The young prince gave Marshall the rest of the food, in which he ate promptly. "It's quite interesting, the way you eat." "Thanks. Ummm, Bubba? Do you know how that mirror opened the portal to the other side? I've accidentally broken lots of mirrors. So... how is it that the certain one that I punched worked?" The vampire asked thoughtfully, and Gumball frowned and began to think, walking back to the bedroom, Marshall just floating behind quietly. It didn't take long for him to gasp and smile, finally realizing just how everything had went down the way it did. "There's the genius..." Marshall mentioned as he started a bath, looking for a piece of relaxation. "It's so simple! Because both you and Marceline were thinking about the other dimension, and staring in the same mirror but on the other side, the portal appeared inside the mirror. When the both of you punched the mirror at the same time, it broke, and opened wide." He grinned, understanding it all perfectly now. It was simple, in a strange kind of way. "Well... Why didn't Princess Bubblegum's machine work?" He asked as he began to strip down, at a healthy weight again. Bubba couldn't help but watch. "Uhhhh... I made one too, and mine didn't work either..." He whispered and leaned against the wall as he allowed his eyes to observe the vampire. Marshall caught him and blushed deeply, stopping. A strong red glow moved across his cheeks and he waved. Gumball gasped softly and turned his back, hiding his eyes. Marshall chuckled. "I don't care if you look. You were saying something but as soon as you began you trailed off. Come here." He mentioned warmly, and Bubba nodded quickly. As the prince was approaching, the vampire pulled off his boxers, then stopped the water. Gumball's heart jumped into his throat as he felt numbed entirely with attraction. He felt Marshall take his hand, then unbutton the shirt of his sleepwear. He granted himself permission to just allow Marshall to touch him, absorb it, and relish it. It had been almost an entire month without him. He was addictive and kind, sweet and gentle. The King of the Vampires was his lover, and he knew he couldn't have gotten a better partner. Nimble hands reached down to untie the strings on Gumball's hands, and slowly untied them. He grinned and hooked his finger over the waistband and pulled them down. All that Bubba was in was his lavender colored briefs, showing the average sized package he had. He wasn't quite turned on yet, and Marshall fully understood. The young prince was a tough nut to crack, a closed book, hard to persuade. Now that everything was back to normal, he would be much back to normal himself. Not easily swooned into romantic affections other than hugs and small kisses. But Marshall knew exactly how to break off the pieces, and find the young needy blonde teenager deep down inside. He kissed his forehead and pulled off the underwear, then kissed his nose. "Why don't we take a nice long bath together? I'll keep you safe and close." Marshall spoke, and his words were music to Marshall's ears. He definitely desired to feel warm and safe. There was nothing more he wanted in the world. Marshall slipped into the tub and Bubba came after, sitting in his lover's lap and leaning back into him. Marshall wrapped his own arms around the younger prince and smiled brightly. "I missed you." Bubba mentioned in a warm tone, letting the best feelings in the world surround him, and soak in. The king kissed the side of the prince's neck every now and again, aiming to bring him a needy feeling. "I missed you too, Gummy. Hey- Remember what you said to me about your fantasy? Could I... do you mind if I... gave it a shot?" Marshall offered with a smile and blush, hoping to maybe get lucky. The prince, very unused to having someone to be so intimate and personal with, nodded. "Yes Marshall. Yes you may. I'd really like it if you could do that for me..." The pink prince confirmed as Marshall moved around a bit, then began to wash his pale friend's skin, and his own. He was sure that in Bubba's fantasy, both of them were clean and smelled fantastic and fresh. He had a very clear picture of what turned Gumball on in his head, and began to mentally plan out what he would do and how he would do it. After getting very clean, the boys dried off with a towel and blow dried their hair. Marshall put the sweater on Gumball that he had worn as a night shirt the night before. The prince smiled. It easily covered his privates and bum, going down to an inch or two above his knee. The vampire put on a pair of briefs, then helped Bubba make the bed kindly. After it got made perfectly, Marshall opened the windows to let in the moonlight. He lit quite a few candles all around them, then turned off the lights. It was nine at night, and both of them were wide awake, sleeping schedules off. "Am I missing anything?" He turned his head to look at Bubba, locking up the door tight. He thought for a moment then took a few roses from a nearby vase, pulled off the petals, and scattered them around and on the bed. It was truly the perfect vision of a romantic and special night. Bubba looked around softly and blushed. "The slick stuff for our privates, so it doesn't hurt as much." He asked gently, and Marshall nodded in compliance. He found a small bottle of a substance similar to Vaseline, then brought it in. Gumball sat up a minute and nodded. "Okay. Now we're ready. Make my dreams come true, my king." "My pleasure." He smiled, playing along with the dignified royal stuff. If it was sexy to Bubba, it would be done in order to please him. Marshall knew very well that he'd have his turn soon enough. 


	19. Chapter 19

The vampire slowly climbed onto the perfectly made bed, and sat on his legs beside his prince, smiling calmly. Bubba looked up, his face a brighter pink than the rest of him. Marshall leaned down and slowly kissed his lips, finding and holding his hand for the intimate connection. They were about to do it once more, and it was going to be absolutely amazing, rather Bubba knew it or not. It felt like an eternal blessing to be able to be safe and secure, compared to what they had been through before. This was like heaven and almost too good to be true. The simple room for protection, one another, and a little bit of light was all they really needed at the moment.

Marshall kissed his young boyfriend by roughly two hundred years in a very affectionate and sensual way. He smiled softly as their lips pressed, making him feel especially warm and stirred up inside. The prince kissed up and did so delicately, their lips locking and releasing in rhythm, finding a natural flow that made sense to them. After a while, Marshall moved to straddle Bubba's pink and strong form. He lightly sat on the boy's stomach, causing him to gasp in happiness. The lovely prized jewels of his lover pressed onto his skin, guiding his body to become especially aroused. Now the hormones were coursing through his veins, making him breathe heavier and forcing his heart to beat faster.

Slowly, sensually, and seductively, the semi-skilled vampire began to suck cautiously on his partner's neck. The pale prince moaned lightly, airily, filling up with tension second by second. The breath that came out of his mouth was shaky and intensely sexual, proving that he was aroused more than he showed. The sweet hickies almost tickled as Marshall spread a few across his skin. Gumball smiled and crossed his ankles, feeling the blood rush through his being. It held up in certain places, including his cheeks, ears, and private region. He easily became hard and stiff, sticking up straight, pushing the sweater up, and making it incredibly obvious. The vampire gently pulled down the collar of his sweater and grazed his collar bone with kisses that just barely touched the skin.

Bubba shivered at each and every kiss, suckle, and flick of Marshall's tongue. The thousand year old teen carefully lifted the head of his younger soon to be mate and kissed him as feverishly and sensually as he could manage. Although the kisses were fast, they were powerful and dramatic in a delicate manner. The prince hungrily kissed Marshall harder, driving up the need. He could feel the privates pressed to his stomach getting harder and even growing somewhat. Maybe it was in his imagination. But whatever the matter, he was feeling ready to amp it up.

Off with the sweater. Marshall assisted as Bubba squirmed out from it, exposing his gorgeous pecks and impressive muscular torso. Now, he wasn't a body builder, nor would he ever care to be. He certainly wasn't skinny like a twig, or soft and on the heavier side. He simply had nice toned muscles, like any average young man. Marshall was more of a twig, but it was simply because that was his body type. He had an incredibly high metabolism and few fat cells. His muscles were less toned than Gumball's, but it didn't intimidate him in any way, shape or form. Bubba never felt like he wasn't attracted to Marshall because of his body. The prince wasn't shallow, knowing that all he should care about was how his lover treated him.

The vampire's lips curled up in delight as he ever so slightly kissed down from his breastbone, to his tummy, to his abdominals, and to his base. After taunting and teasing for a minute or so with his lips and tongue, the vampire kissed his heated length. The mindless action really got Bubba going, causing him to gasp sharply and wiggle. His eyes rolled back in his head and he nearly purred, constantly moaning, very quietly. Marshall took a few fingers full of the Vaseline and lathered all over his length at first, then moved his attention to Bubba's behind.

Marshall took a deep breath and gathered up any and all courage he had to lather the puckered opening in the makeshift lubricant. Gumball gasped and blushed, smiling, feeling extra tight in his gut as his lover touched him in such an odd place. The elder king smiled too, and bravely stuck in a finger, eliciting a soft howl from his lover. "Oh my-! D-do another..." The prince pleaded quietly, anticipation building. Marshall slipped in another, then another finger more in a brave attempt to please his lover to the maximum amount he could and to the very best of his ability. As each finger was added, Bubba squirmed and flinched. When Marshall began to feel around though was when he got really excited.

In exploratory mode, the king gently and curiously pressed around on Bubba's insides, his own bulge huge in his briefs. While feeling around, he pressed on a soft spot that elicited a high pitched and very dense cry of pleasure and surprise from his young sweetheart. "OH! Oh m-m-my! Marsh-shall Lee!" He chimed in, listening as the vampire made his own noises of confusion, excitement, and curiosity. Soon though his own appendage began to ache, and he realized that he was ready to really begin. Bubba appeared to be in a great deal of pain, cheeks so red and eyes squeezed shut so tightly.

"Hey G-gummy? Sweets, you o-okay?" He asked, brushing his black hair back out of his eyes. The younger man nodded quickly.

"Yes. Yes M-Marshall, I'm okay. I'm a-also very ready for you. I feel empty." He rubbed his lower gut, discontent with the strange feeling of nothingness. There was only one cure, and that was Marshall's long, hard, semi-heated length. The vampire nodded and moved back around, positioning himself in between Bubba's legs. His knees were lifted high, as he knew it would create even more space.

"Ready? On three big guy. One, two, three..." Marshall slid into Bubba's body with ease, and was immediately surrounded by his partner's warm insides.

"OHHHhhhhh...!" Gumball allowed a long and sensual groan of pleasure to escape his throat, causing him to blush. With all the windows opened anybody could have heard. Embarrassed, he tried to keep his cries inside, but it was a near impossible task. Marshall allowed himself to elevate, and began to thrust his hips forward, banging sexually into Gumball's base, creating much desired friction and welcomed pressure to every area of his lower body. His lowers were being sexually pressed onto Marshall's base, and he appreciated the feeling of Marshall's lowers pressing onto his bum. They were hot and hard, no longer soft and tender. It was really really good, and he couldn't resist reaching down to touch.

Marshall gasped softly and froze a few seconds, then continued his work. He wanted to get as close to Bubba as possible in order to hold him tight and make the moment that much more sentimental. He hugged him closely, and whispered into his ear. "My sweet bubblegum prince..." He began, scooping him up and switching their positions so Bubba was draped along Marshall, even though the elder was still very deep inside his body. The prince gasped lightly, legs dangling from his body as he straddled his lover. The vampire floated into the air above the bed, and the sheer pressure gravity provided was unlike any other feeling in the world. There was nowhere to go but down, and all of Gumballs weight was directed down on Marshall's penis and pelvis. Bubba was sure that the vampire had never gotten so deep before. It was painfully sexy, all of the pressure and size of the appendage inside of him. "How's that feelin?"

"G-good- really really good." Bubba managed through his whimpers and groans as he shifted from side to side. When the young prince began to actually look in pain, the king folded his body into a sitting position, and pulled Gumball into his chest for a close hug. There was a lot less pressure in his genital region, and a lot less pushing in Bubba's gut. The young prince leaned in and moaned, ready to finish and be finished into. He shifted back and forth on the vampire's length, subtly trying desperately to get Marshall to orgasm. He dove in and kissed his hard on the mouth, moaning and whimpering and pulling on his hair, exciting the elder even further with ease.

"C'mon Marshall... That'da boy..." He purred, feeling his muscles twitch in anticipation of a big orgasm. "I n-need you real bad..." He whispered hoarsely, in great desperation for a hot, sexy, giant climax. He was feeling his stomach muscles clench and unclench as the pair hurdled at full speed to the finish. Marshall's face began to give the telltale warning signs of grand and glorious peak. His brow came together and his nose scrunched up, eyes squeezing shut as his brain communicated back and forth with his body. Finally Bubba squirmed, pleading, "You're so close! P-please! Oh Marshall-!"

The desperate words of the younger prince gave the vampire plenty of incentive to orgasm high, hard, and for quite the duration of time. It lasted a while, his physical, chemical, and mental stimulation all at play. On ejaculation, he filled his lover with an almost abnormally large amount of cum, then sank back down into the bed, head spinning. As soon as they made contact with the bed, Bubba let go of everything he had and achieved orgasm flawlessly. The only reason he wasn't able to at first was because he was so out of his element floating five feet above the bed. He finished into a towel the pair had waiting off to the side, letting go of even more fluid than Marshall. After panting for about five minutes, Bubba slowly pulled off of Marshall, still trying to cool down and recover from such a strong orgasm. He lied right beside the vampire and closed his eyes.

"I want... I want to do it again, as soon as we wake up." The young man's request was very simple and Marshall had no reason to deny.

"Of course, your highness. As soon as we awake." He whispered sweetly before falling asleep immediately, overcome with exhaustion. Bubba smiled and curled up right next to him after pulling the sheet up. He fell asleep, thinking about when and where they would try again in the morning.


	20. Chapter 20

Both boys slept for a few hours while their bodies recovered from the intimate love making. Marshall snored peacefully and Gumball breathed softly, the pair curled up into another for safety and comfort. It was Bubba who was carelessly sprawled out over Marshall, breathing deeply as they rested. The room was dark and quiet, peaceful and relaxed. It began to rain outside, the soft pitter patter of the water resonating throughout the room. Marshall was the first to awaken, Gumball's shift in his sleep waking him up. The vampire smiled softly and rubbed his back quietly, yawning wide. He felt much much better since their loving, having released a lot of pent up tension. His hair was tossed perfectly in his red eyes as he closed them, relishing the moment. He wanted to capture the moment in his mind and heart, and never lose it. He could only wish there would be many more moments like it in the future, until his life ended.

Marshall had been living for more than ten times the average human. So many years alone, and on very rare occasions he met a being that provided him the rare delicacy of true love. Being alive for so long meant that most faces blended into the back of his mind. They came and went. Now he had a true love that could last, he didn't have to ever worry about saying goodbye. Too many times he had been through the heart wrenching process of holding a friend while they slipped away and onto the next life. Marshall couldn't have handled having to place Bubba in his final resting place, and he was glad he would never have to. He loved the boy too much for his own good. It was impossible to put into words.

Gumball slowly aroused from his slumber not more than a half hour later, suddenly opening his eyes and sucking in a sharp breath. "M-Marshall! Marshall Lee..."

"What Bubs?" The vampire chuckled, looking to him. "I fell asleep. I wanted to plan your... Your special time." He rubbed his eyes and sat up, then looked around. "Oh gosh globbin it's raining..." He turned into Marshall, who pulled him very close.

"Yeah, it is. What's the big deal?"

"I wanted to go outside with you and fulfill your fantasy..." He whispered and moved close, pressing their lips together. Marshall felt his cheeks heat up and a smile spread across his face. Bubba remembered him talk about his little fantasy, just like he had remembered Gumball's. "You said outside... In the dark of night."

"There's always another day, Bubs."

"We... We could now. It isn't raining too hard and I'd really like to go get made love to again."

"R-really?" Marshall looked through the bangs in his eyes, blushing deeply and smiling slightly. "You wanna... you want me to...?"

"Yes, I do. Let's go now. Put on some clothes that you're willing to get wet and muddy." He stood and grabbed some old shorts, not even bothering with underwear. Marshall giggled at Bubba's enthusiasm.

"I don't have any of my clothes here. I guess I could clean the one's I was wearing." He stood slowly and dressed. Fortunately it was warm outside and the rain was warm as well. He opened the doors to the balcony, allowing the rain to surround and get him soaked. It felt good, waking him up further as the remaining sleepiness melted off his body. Gumball stepped out beside him and took his hand, closing the doors to the balcony. He took Marshall's hand and gasped a slight bit as the strong vampire scooped him up bridal style.

"Take us to where you think it'll be sexiest for you. I trust you. Just... Make sure we'll be alone and in somewhere mostly private. I mean it won't be as safe or as private as a bedroom but it's what you want and I'm all about making you happy. You're my vampire." Marshall flew off, allowing pure instincts to guide him to the perfect mating spot. Gumball watched him closely, observing as he scanned the area.

"I appreciate that. And don't worry sweet guy, I will keep you safe in every sense of the word. Nobody'll see us. You know it and I know it... I'll keep you safe and rock your world..." He mentioned casually and Bubba rolled his eyes.

"Sure thing Marshie. Just don't let anyone feel the earth tremble but me." The pink prince smiled and glanced at Marshall, then bit his tongue lightly. The vampire looked different suddenly as he laid eyes on the perfect spot to do the deed. He lowered down and landed on his feet, then scanned the area around them. It was darker, quiet, rain drops occasionally dripping down onto their skin. The rays of diluted moonlight barely illuminated their figures in the dark, so Bubba kept his hand clutched to Marshall's. He was a little afraid, no doubt, not in his element here. "Kinda scary..."

"Don't worry... I'll help take away the fear..." The vampire swiftly moved behind Gumball and pressed to him, then used his snake-like tongue to lick his sweet pink skin. His hands slithered down into his pants and began to touch his lover's sexy, candy private parts. Gumball's gasp got stuck in his throat and he groaned, trying to assume the role of a character. Marshall was a vampire; a needy, instinctual, habitual creature. They were attracted to their victims usually, and often forced sex after biting. Although Marshall was civilized, he was still a vampire, and it was okay to get in touch with the side of him that he so often forced down in the back of his mind. The pink prince wanted to give him a chance to embrace who he really was, just for now, and maybe for other times later in the future.

"Ohh... C'cmon..." He pulled away, and Marshall's pupils enlarged as his mate began to break away. "You'll have to work harder than that..." Marshall began to growl and Bubba slowly walked off, seemingly not impressed as he managed to stay calm. Showing no fear. The vampire rushed in front of him, flying there in a flash, baring his fangs. Bubba smirked and backed up against a tree, leaning against it, head back. Marshall, more creature than person, smelled Bubba's neck, brushing his lips along the skin. Gumball moaned and held his hips, moving to remove his shirt. "You've got to disrobe me if you want to make me yours, beast of the night..." His words were daring and quite remarkably shocking, but he knew exactly how far he could take this. His growls grew lower and stronger, and Gumball chuckled. His pale grey hands pulled off the prince's pink tee shirt. The prince watched carefully as Marshall undressed himself to become entirely naked, erection soaring.

Marshall Lee pinned Gumball to the tree, using his strength as he pulled down the thin shorts and tossed them into the mud. The prince blushed and lifted his arms, showing a pale, lean, wet torso. If anyone were to catch them, he'd likely be fired for public indecency. It was in the back of his mind, worrying him, but he was assured by their distance from the kingdom and any kingdom in general. Gumball smiled softly as the vampire began to kiss and lap on his skin, resting his hands on the pink boy's hips with strength. He didn't want him walking off again, and wasn't going to allow it.

Knowing how to challenge his lover, Gumball began to kiss and push back hard against him. In an attempt for dominance, he pushed the vampire on his bum into the soft dirt, then crawled over him, growling himself. Marshall squealed a bit in shock as his unlikely partner put up an unlikely fight. Gumball kissed all over the vampire feverishly, that only accepted the submissive role for a solid five seconds. He hissed and bared his fangs, snipping at Bubba and shoving him right back onto his back. The pink prince gasped, then got to his hands and knees in an attempt to scramble up. Marshall immediately wrapped his unnaturally strong arms around the struggling prince, then mounted him like they were animals. Gumball blushed and gasped, pulling away as Marshall squatted and began to enter. Bubba's heartbeat and breathing skyrocketed as he wriggled his hips, trying desperately to relax as the vampire made it his mission to mate him.

"Nnnnnn..." Bubba whimpered as he clenched up, not allowing Marshall in any further then the length of his tip. This frustrated the creature of the night, who began to whine, nudging Gumball to relax. It was a simple show of control, and who had more of it. Marshall finally broke after a few minutes of struggle, still very deep in instinct as he nudged his partner, pleading.

"Please..." He groaned in a voice unlike his own, deeper and more strained. Bubba finally relaxed his abdominal muscles, allowing Marshall permission to fully submerse himself inside. The pink prince choked on a scream as his stronger dominant lover unleashed his power, tightening his arms around his pink torso and thrusting with unimaginable force into his rear and core. In reaction, Bubba lowered his hips and spread his legs even more, trying his best to make more room. Every time Marshall thrusted, he grunted, eyes shut tight. It was the best feeling as he gripped the wet earth and grass in his hands, enduring the forceful love.

"AH! M-M-Marsh-shall Lee Abadeer! Nnngggg... G-get in there..." He encouraged until Marshall's base was pressed to his bum. Gumball took sharp deep breaths, eyes wide, adjusting accordingly. Marshall draped himself along Gumball's back, taking a few moments, tense. Large bat wings emerged from his back, wisely balancing him over his partner. Bubba extended his torso in a cat stretch position, constantly groaning in pleasure. He was now sweating and panting, highly turned on, hurtling towards climax. His mouth hung open as he sucked in air, eyebrows together as his face scrunched up, showing his current state. The vampire was way ahead of him. Gumball arched his back, pushing Marshall's torso further into the air, causing him to be lifted off the ground. He squirmed somewhat, trying to ground himself once more, wings flapping. This caused their rears to lift from the ground, giving a brand new angle. Bubba's eyes rolled back in his head as the brand new pressures and position of his bum brought him within inches of finish.

The vampire began to throw his hips at Gumball's rear, making him squeal and orgasm. He ejaculated onto the ground, now entirely wet with rain water and sweat. As he reached sweet euphoria, Marshall lowered them back, wings tense and held out. He clenched his jaw and screamed in anticipation, then let go with all he had. Every last drop possible of his precious white gold emptied into his pink mate's bowels. Gumball squealed lightly, relishing the odd sensation, having a small dry orgasm. It was just enough to numb his brain with satisfaction, leaving him incapable of doing anything other than breathing and absorbing the feelings. Marshall leaned back a bit, making a call unfamiliar to Bubba, probably a territorial one. He was busy trying not to pass out, think through the fog orgasm clouded the brain with, and let anything know that he had claimed his mate. Bubba was his mate and no one else's. It was sweet, and the young prince smiled a bit.

After a minute or so, Gumball gently pulled away and off of Marshall, then turned into him and dotted his skin with kisses that kindly and affectionately grazed his skin. A simple sign of submission and satisfaction. He was pleased with the performance of his boyfriend, and now focused on bringing Marshall Lee back out. All he had to do was kiss him on the lips a few times and talk to him. "Gl-glob Marshall Lee, that was sexy! I didn't think you had it in you..."

"C-course I did..." He mentioned as he wrapped his arms around the prince. "I'm half demon half vampire. Of course I had it in me... Glob, I love you." He hugged Bubba close, then stood and helped them get dressed, feeling more relieved than he ever had before.

"I love you as well, Marshall Lee." The prince chuckled, now really messy, covered in sweat, dirt, rain, and muddy clothes. Marshall was the same way. He took a minute, allowing his excitement to die. He turned into a small bat when he noticed the rising sun, then blushed just as his prince scooped him up and put him under his shirt. Prince Gumball, dirtied and happy, carried the vampire all the way to his home in the cave, never once wishing the cataclysm had never occurred. If it hadn't, he would have never fallen in love with Marshall, and a world without Marshall was a world he did not want to live in.

The End


End file.
